We are in the middle of a three part series called "Living a Careful Life." The key verse is Psalm 101:2-4. “I will be careful to lead a blameless life when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.”
Part 1 of "Living a Careful Life" dealt with having a blameless (complete, sincere, entirely whole) heart towards God. We defined this as our inward reality--- who we are at the very core of our being.
Part 2 deals with our outward expressions--- what we do as a result of who we are. Outward expression #1 was "I will walk in my house with a blameless heart." The word blameless used in this passage means innocence and integrity. Bottom-line for living a careful life--- we must realize that our daily walk with God begins the moment our feet hit the floor. The outcome of a blameless heart in our homes is that the people who are the closest to us will see that Jesus makes a real difference in our lives.
Let's move on and look at outward expression #2
• I will set before my eyes not vile thing
To set means to place and begs the question what are we placing before our eyes?
There are many avenues that we use to place things before our eyes. Let's examine two.
1. Media: Probably the most obvious way that we place things before our eyes is through media. Things like TV, movies, magazines, books, internet, facebook, twitter, and blogs--- the list goes on and on. When it comes to the things that we place before our eyes, testing or examining is essential. We need to make sure that the things we place before our eyes promotes Godliness.
2. Thought-Life: Perhaps less obvious, but equally as powerful is our thought life. Our thought life is made up of the constant stream of thoughts that take place in our head. This is the time that we spend each day
daydreaming about a life that is not our own. Women fall into the trap of dreaming when they think about and long for a life in a different setting, with a different person, and with a different set of circumstances. Daydreaming often seems harmless because we think that we are not "hurting" anyone. But, daydreaming is harmful because it keeps us from focusing on the life God has called us to live.
Today I want to challenge you to examine the things that you set before your eyes. If you find something that is not honoring to the Lord in your media routine or your thought life, get serious about dealing with that sin. Here are a few practical ways to address each area.
In regards to media, identify the problem areas and share the areas with a close friend. Then ask your friend to hold you accountable to Godliness by checking in with you each day or each week and asking you how you are doing. Accountability is a powerful tool in your walk with God. Do not be afraid or ashamed to use it!
In regards to your thought life, use this three step process to overcome wrong thought patterns.
• Recognize the wrong thought by admitting to God and yourself that you have a problem.
• Remove the wrong thought by s
aturating your heart and mind with scripture.
Find a specific passage of scripture that speaks to your wrong thought pattern and memorize and meditate on that passage daily.
• Replace the wrong thought pattern with the right thought pattern. Be sure and c
ontinually guard this area of your life. Chances are you will face a similar struggle in the future.
Okay--- I hope you are ready to deal with the things that you set before your eyes. I am so proud of you for getting serious about your daily walk with Jesus. He is the best thing that has ever happened in us.
Love!
Andrea@TVM
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