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Filled, But With What?

Written by Pastor Eric Everhart

In my devotion reading this week, I came across this passage in Matthew 6:22-23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

As I was searching through my social media recently, I couldn’t help but notice all of the hate, anger, division, language, nastiness, and “unChrist-like” conversations that were happening. I’m sure you have noticed as well. Just about every topic from racism, covid, elections, LGBT, masks, governors, sports, politics, and the list goes on, was shrouded in long threads of “garbage.” I would love to say that these conversations were all being had by “pagan heathens” but the truth is, many of these individuals are my brothers and sisters in Christ. Brothers and sisters caught up in the “conversation” that goes round and round with nobody being heard and everyone’s feelings being hurt. What would bring them to such a point that they would be willing to sacrifice their Christ identity, just to get their point and/or opinion heard?

It’s good to be informed about what’s happening in the world, but are we filling our bodies with “light” or with the “darkness” that is a never-ending stream of anxiety and divisiveness from the devil? I submit that as we constantly fill our minds and hearts with the garbage the world offers up as “freedom of speech” and the “right to express myself” it is changing how we think, how we respond, what we say, and how we feel. We find ourselves speaking and acting in ways that we would have never done before.

Can this downward slide into darkness be reversed? If we spend as much time in God’s Word and in prayer as we do on social media fighting with the masses, will that change our thoughts and our response towards others? I wonder what would be coming from our mouths, our minds, and our hearts? 

Jesus tells us to be careful about what we take from the world and allow into our hearts. The bitterness, anger, and hate can fill our hearts with darkness which becomes visible in how we interact with the world around us. Jesus tells us to fill our hearts and our minds with him, to be overflowing with thankfulness and joy that Jesus is Lord, he is the Christ! We need, now even more than ever, to have our hearts filled with the “light” so that we may bear witness to who God is and share his hope in desperate times. As we fill our hearts and minds with light, the  fruits of compassion, understanding, kindness, and love will shine from each of us. 

Are you filled with the darkness of the world or the light of Jesus Christ? Be the hope and light this world so badly needs today! 

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29

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