The mind, the heart, and the body are illuminated and nurtured by what the eyes see; for Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6: 22, 23

Whether our eyes are good or bad is determined by us. It is we who make the choice of what we watch and read. Whatever that might be, Jesus wants us to know that it will affect the entirety of our being.

Seek to absorb through the eyes the light that is uplifting, noble, of good report, of excellence. Do that, and the eyes will transmit the radiation of those qualities to our inner being. Such radiation will be to our hearts and minds as water and sunlight is to nature’s greenery. From within, the brightness will shine forth and be as a floodlight.

The same process takes place when the eyes dwell on that which is degrading, indecent, unprincipled, and of poor taste. The result, though, will be a darkened inside and outside.

As Christians, we want good eyes to bring in the light that should not be hidden. Be happy to be a light in this world and to let it shine forth, we are told (Matthew 5: 14, 15). In order to do this, we must be discerning in what we watch and read. After all, not all darkness is obvious. As the devil can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11: 14), so he can disguise entertainment, philosophy, and religion as good.

So then, we must be careful that the light we let in through our eyes is not darkness. Illuminated with knowledge of the written Word, and continuing a relationship with the living Word,  will help our eyes see clearly His Light of the world.