"Does It Matter What We Look At?"

Many times we say, “It doesn’t matter what we look at.” You’ve probably heard someone joke, “I’m just looking at the menu—I’m not going to order anything.” But the truth is this: if you stare at the menu long enough, eventually you’ll place an order. What captures our eyes often captures our hearts.

The very first sin in the Bible reminds us that what we look at truly matters. Genesis 3 tells us that Eve saw the fruit, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and desirable. The look came before the bite. Her eyes opened the door to disobedience. Likewise, when David sinned with Bathsheba, Scripture states that he saw her bathing on the rooftop (2 Samuel 11:2). One glance led to a chain of devastating consequences.

Achan is another example. In Joshua 7, he confessed, “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian garment… then I coveted them, and took them.” His eyes led to desire, and desire led to destruction, not just for him, but for others as well. Samson followed the same path. Judges records that he saw a woman who pleased him, and that repeated pattern of unchecked desire ultimately resulted in a disastrous life and a tragic end.

The Bible is clear: our eyes are not neutral. Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22). What we allow before our eyes will either bring light or darkness into our lives.

This is why Scripture urges us to be intentional and disciplined. Job declared, “I made a covenant with mine eyes” (Job 31:1). What we choose to look at today shapes who we become tomorrow.

So yes, it matters what we look at. Guard your eyes, because they often lead your heart.