I like people watching. Sometimes I feel like I could sit in a crowded place for hours doing just that. I like to imagine what people’s stories might be and what their relationship is to each other. I don’t know about you, but I think I tend to compartmentalize people in categories. It’s probably a way of keeping everything manageable – having a handle on the world around you where everyone fits into their little box. It’s not necessarily a good thing and can develop into a habit of judging people based on their appearance. I can be “shut down” towards a person before I ever talk to them or know them.
God has been speaking to me this week about how we use our eyes. When we prejudge someone based on their appearance, it doesn’t leave any room for us to see them the way God does. In the same way, if our eyes are selfish possessors or consumers through lust or materialism (or envy), we tend to filter everything we see through our own need for pleasure. That leaves us with no ability to give because we are caught up in trying to get.
Men in particular are visually stimulated. Everyday we are bombarded with provocative images around us in media, in public places - sometimes almost everywhere we turn it seems - yet we must be very careful not to see the women around us as objects. This will prevent us from ever loving them the way that God does.
What about women who seem to be inviting that kind of attention? Proverbs 11:22 says “A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.” Sounds like an insult doesn’t it? I don’t think that’s the point of the verse though – I think it’s more about the wasted beauty of the gold ring than the ugliness of a pig. A similar metaphor would be that of a beautiful nature scene: Picture snow-capped rugged mountains dressed in clothing of rich green pines and ending in a crystal clear lake. Then picture it being ruined by litter dumped everywhere and sewer waste marring the cleanliness of the lake. What a sad waste of beauty! I believe that is how God feels when He sees a beautiful woman who flaunts her body without respect for it. And when we allow ourselves to succumb to consuming with our eyes, then we are like the people who throw more litter into the nature scene pictured above. We are making it worse.
Besides that, there’s a fair chance that a girl who is flaunting her body is looking for validation and love which means that she might not know that God loves her and values her for who she is. She may even be acting out of hurts from her past where someone wounded her sense of value and dignity. I believe that the heart of God is to love and protect women and bring healing and compassion to the wounded. It’s difficult to represent that heart when we are selfish with our eyes.
I believe that God wants to transform us to see what He sees and to understand His heart for people. He is looking for vessels through which to pour His love to the world around us. One of the most important and immediate ways He can do that is through our eyes. No matter whether we are shy or busy or rarely find time to talk to the people we meet throughout our day, we still have many opportunities where eye contact is made. When our eyes show compassion and value, rather than judgment, lust or selfishness, people will notice Jesus in us staring back out at them.
Ben has been apprenticing at The Bridge for over 2 years. He is constantly learning how much he doesn't know! Ben is VERY excited to cheer on Canada at the 2010 Olympics.
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