The eye is the lamp of the body

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light." Matthew 6:22 BSB

In an article posted by Runner's World Monday titled, "Vitamin D May Protect Against Colorectal Cancer, New Research Finds," the following was reported: When it comes to health benefits, vitamin D is a standout—it’s been linked to lower incidence of depression and osteoporosis, most notably—and now a study in the journal Gastroenterology suggests reduced risk of colorectal (or colon) cancer might be added to the list. Researchers looked at data from nearly 95,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-term study focused on chronic disease prevention that collects information on nutrition and other health factors. Over a 24-year timespan, those who ate foods with higher amounts of vitamin D had a 50 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, particularly when they were younger. “This suggests that vitamin D foods may be important for younger people as a way to prevent colorectal cancer, not just those who are older,” study co-author Kimmie Ng, M.D., director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute told Runner’s World. This includes foods like salmon, cheese, fortified dairy products, beef liver, and egg yolks.

And, you know, as this research clearly indicated, what you and I put into our physical bodies has the power to protect or to harm our health. The same is true of our spiritual bodies too. Think about it. The things that we watch or allow ourselves to view affects the health of our spirit either positively or negatively. Matthew clearly understood this, which is why he referred to the eye as "the lamp of the body." You see, if our eyes are good, or always gazing on good, heavenly and godly things, our "whole body will be full of light" and we will shine as we are supposed to. Similarly if our eyes are always gazing on wicked, earthly, and ungodly things—-things like porn, graphic movies, immoral television shows, and violent video games—our bodies will be full of darkness. Darkness that will show up in our thoughts, moods, and behaviors.

So make every effort to diligently guard your eyes my friend. Vow to gaze only upon those things that, as I like to say to my kids, are pastor-proof. Which means... if you wouldn't watch it or look at it with your pastor sitting beside you, don’t watch it. This will keep eyes good and your spirit healthy so that you can brightly shine His light in a dark world. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that what we ingest with our eyes is just as important to our whole health as what we ingest with our mouths. Make us so sensitive to the Spirit’s heeding Lord that we would immediately recognize the things we should not be looking at so that we might turn away. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!