The Medicine Cabinet: Turn It Off — Wednesday
Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (NLT)
When I was a junior in high school, my school bought a computer that had the ability to connect to the internet. I’d love to tell you about how cool or amazing it was, but in reality, I didn’t even know what that meant. I remember a teacher coming to my class to explain what the internet was and what a website was. To be honest, most of it flew way over my head, but I remember him saying that a web address had to start with “www,” end with a “.com,” and the periods were like spaces. Sadly, I also remember my first time using this computer. I went to the address bar and typed in www.how.do.I.use.the.internet.com. Obviously it returned an error.
A lot has changed with the internet since then. Most notably, it’s a whole lot more accessible. We all carry phones in our pockets that offer a gateway to everything the internet has to offer (both good and bad). We have smart TVs connected to YouTube and other video streaming services. We can quite literally access the internet 24/7. And that’s not always a good thing. If you don’t believe that, consider this stat: According to Covenant Eyes, 20% of all mobile searches are for pornography.
Solomon tells us to guard our hearts, for the heart determines the course of our life. We only need to look to his father, King David, for a perfect illustration of this. In 2 Samuel 11, we read about King David watching Bathsheeba while she bathed, and what follows is a series of bad decisions. He sends someone to find out who she is. He sleeps with her and discovers she is pregnant. He then comes up with a plot to cover up his indiscretion and, ultimately, has her husband Uriah killed. He allowed sin to enter his heart, and it led him down a dark path. And it all started with his eyes watching something he shouldn’t have been watching.
That may seem like an extreme example, but sin can make us alter course in ways we never thought possible. Guard your heart, and in many cases, that starts with guarding your eyes.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Are there areas of your heart that have been left unguarded? Are there areas of your heart you’ve allowed sin to enter into? Confess them and give Jesus control of your whole heart today.
*If you’re a man who struggles with pornography or other purity issues, we’d love to help you get connected to the right resources and community to support you in your journey toward freedom. Click here to reach out to our Care Team.