i am probably dating myself with the words of this little song from my childhood:
o be careful little eyes what you see,
o be careful little eyes what you see,
for the Father up above
is looking down in love,
so be careful little eyes what you see.
i'm reasonably sure that the lyrics of this Sunday school tune were intended to prick our little consciences when we were tempted to do something bad...and i'm pretty sure the theology of that thinking is, at the very least, not entirely gospel-driven.
However, i've been thinking about those words, and the other verses about being careful what you hear, and where you go, and what you say. The obvious application is that we, as Christ-followers, are to steer clear of sin -- that we are not to watch, listen to, engage in or speak about the things of this world which draw us into unholy living. This thinking, while not very popular, is consistent with the Psalmist's opening lines:
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord...."
And with John's sober warning, found in 1 John 2:
"Do not love the world or the things of the world...
for all that is in the world
the desires of the flesh and
the desires of the eyes and
pride in possessions is not from the Father..."
Our "little eyes", and ears and hands and feet must be careful to avoid that which is profane so that we might become holy as Christ is holy. This is (obviously) true.
But i think there's more to this little rhyme. At least for our generation of eyes and ears and hands and feet. There is a subtle and insidious danger that, left unchecked, will threaten our faith -- both personal and corporate. i'm afraid it's already making its mark on the church.
Paul would warn Timothy:
"Guard the deposit entrusted to you.
Avoid the irreverant babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge'.
For by professing it some have swerved from the faith" (1 Tim. 6:20)
And again,
"The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching,
but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers to suit their own passions." (2 Tim. 4:3)
O be careful little ears what you hear.
Avoid listening to crass, unholy, worldly talk. Yes.
But equally threatening is the danger of weak, watered down, popular doctrine.
Be careful little ears what you hear.
It seems to me that we are enamored with teaching, text, and lyrics that are great "sound bites", but bad doctrine. We quote people who have a "silver tongue", but whose content is weak at best and often its just wrong.
If it's a best seller, it must be worth reading.
If people camp out to hear him, he must be worth listening to.
If he's sincere, he must be right.
If it sounds good, it must be worth quoting (on FB).
No. No. No. No.
The time is coming, and indeed is here, when we are accumulating for ourselves teachers to suit our own passions.
Teachers who pick & choose from Scripture.
Teachers who avoid difficult --- unpopular --- subjects.
Teachers who take Scripture out of context to make it relevant.
Teachers who are more concerned about how they look and how they are perceived than about declaring truth.
The time is coming and is indeed here. And people are swerving from the faith. This is serious stuff.
Be careful little eyes what you see.
Be careful little ears what you hear.
Be careful little lips what you say.
Here's a suggestion. Before we repeat or quote or recommend or live by anything other than Scripture, we need to ask ourselves,
Is this consistent with the whole council of God?
Does it ring true with His character and nature throughout history?
Does it reflect the great thinkers of the faith from all the generations of history?
If you're not sure, don't quote it.
Instead, study it.
Turn it over in your mind.
Search the Scripture.
Ask the HolySpirit for understanding.
Ask someone to help you think rightly!
The little chorus that i quoted as i began is most certainly not theologically complete. But it does make a point for our generation. Paul would warn the Thessalonians: "Test everything; hold fast what is good." (1 Thess. 5:21)
Not everything that is taught or preached or written is "sound". i'm afraid that's particularly true in our evangelical culture. People are swerving.
Look out.
