“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,[g] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,[h] your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” Luke 11.33-36
The old saying, “You are what you eat,” is true in this situation. You are what you watch, what you think, and what you consider. Who said, “As a man thinks, so he is”?
What Jesus is saying is so true, and it gets to the root of spiritual, emotional, and mental health. If what we take into our bodies and hearts is dark, evil, or sinful, then our whole bodies will be full of darkness.
Pastor Joel Osteen gets a bad rap from many people for being a prosperity gospel preacher. But I’ve heard him enough to know that his message is one of light. Sure, he may not be the best theologian, and sometimes he focuses on things I might not emphasize as much, but the message of light, hope, and grace runs throughout his sermons.
In the same positive light, Jesus says that if your eyes are healthy—spiritually and emotionally—then your whole body is full of light. What can we do to make sure our spiritual eyes are healthy? What are we looking at that we shouldn’t? What do we think about or worry about? Whatever comes into our bodies will surely come out.
We must practice focusing on what is holy. Meditate upon the Lord. Listen to worship music. Worship God in spirit and in truth. Read His Word, digest it, and memorize it. Serve the hurting. Allow the light of Christ to rule and reign in you.
I’ve been walking with the Lord for forty years this summer, and I have yet to get it all right. I am trying—most certainly—and many days I succeed. I give God thanks for the goodness in my heart and for His Spirit, who gives me strength each and every day.
“O Lord God, You are good. I love and praise Your name. Thank You for allowing me to walk in the positive light of Your love, to be led by Your Spirit, and filled with Your grace. Come now, Holy Father, meet me in my journey. Help me walk according to Your path. For You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen.