Christian Ladies’ Viewing

by Erma McKinney

Pastor’s executive secretary for 31 years at First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana

Well over 600 verses in the Bible contain references to eyes—what they saw, what they were supposed to see, what opinions were formed as a result of seeing, what blessings came as a result of seeing something, and what punishment and danger also came to people because the Lord saw disobedience and dishonor to Him, and what the enemy saw, and on and on. How do we Christian ladies use our eyes?

            Of course, we see where we are going; we look at fabrics, food ingredients, furniture, carpets, floors; we look into the faces of children and other loved ones; we notice roads and traffic signals (hopefully), books, magazines, and television screens— all as we walk, sew, cook, clean, care for, and converse with family and friends, drive, read, and even attentively, view.

            We see some things that we have not chosen to see such as a traffic accident, a moment of a television program as we are changing channels, a sinfully-garbed person. These incidents are unavoidable. We have, however, also chosen to see some things that are not good.

            What are we reading? There is a question that is good to use as a test concerning whether we are reading the right book or magazine: would we want someone (our husbands, our fathers, our mothers, our children—anyone whom we love dearly and who loves us and thinks highly of us) to look over our shoulders at whatever material we are reading, thus judging us by whatever interests us? What are we viewing on television? Can we ask God’s blessings and His fellowship while filling moments of a day or a night with these materials that our eyes see?

            Accompanying the seeing in many cases is the hearing. Several verses in the Bible instruct concerning whether some speech or some action or some association is edifying. One definition that is printed in the dictionary which I read says that edify means “to instruct in such a way as to improve, enlighten, or uplift morally or spiritually.” God wants us to be improved, to be enlightened, and to be uplifted morally or spiritually. He commands it. So, we are not to read, to discuss, to hear, to be engaged in anything that does not edify us. In turn, if we are edified, we will by our speech and our actions edify those with whom we associate.

            Since the subject of hearing has come up with the subject of seeing, that brings us to another subject—our having definite convictions concerning listening to complaints and murmurings. Whatever we hear that touches a response in our own thinking is likely to be entered into by us. As related in the Old Testament of the Bible particularly, the harshest of judgments from God to His people came as a result of their complaining and murmuring. “And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” (Numbers 11:1) The Israelites complained and blubbered about so many circumstances of their lives: needing water, not having the kind of food they liked to eat; disapproving of the leadership of Moses, of Aaron, of Miriam, and of God’s leadership itself. Somehow, however, all this seems to reflect to some degree the responses of our own circumstances. The bottom line, as we say, is that we are chaffing against the leadership of God. What is our conviction concerning surrendering to God’s will? We need to bring to mind that conviction daily, even hourly! Surrender to God’s will!