The fruits of evil can be enticing. That is why our struggle, as believers, is widely referred to as temptation. If it weren’t enticing, it would be easy for us to be holy and blameless all of the time. But we aren’t a sinless species. Sometimes we fall. Sometimes we give into the temptation and allow vile things to enter our eyes, ears, hearts and lives. God wants us to avoid such things. In fact, if we are to be like him, we should hate them. We should treat them like an icky slime that once tossed on us makes us want to rush to the sink and wash it off so that it no longer clings to us. But it begins with a decision by us to watch what we set our eyes upon. It says in Psalm, chapter one hundred one, verse 3:
“I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.”
It shouldn’t take long for you and me to identify what tempts us. It should be obvious what causes us to stumble. When you hear this verse, what comes to your mind? What is it that you shouldn’t set before your eyes, or your heart? I encourage you to determine in your heart and your mind that you “will set before your eyes no vile thing”, as this psalm by David challenges. It goes on to say the the deeds of faithless men he hates; that they will not cling to him. What is clinging to you today? I encourage you to think like David. If there is any sin, or any vile thing that clings to you today, come before the Lord and ask him to wash you clean; to scrape off what is vile that you may walk in right relationship with him once more. Practically speaking, when we are dirty, nothing will make us feel as good as a hot shower to make us clean again. Spiritually speaking, I would suggest the same remedy is required. Nothing will make you feel as good as a repentant and recommitted heart cleansed by the Holy Spirit to make you clean again.
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Are you familiar with teflon? If you enjoy cooking you might be. It is a synthetic resin used to coat cooking utensils so that food doesn’t stick on them. Let our countenance be like teflon. As Psalms 101 says, let us hate the deeds of faithless men. Let us proclaim that like teflon, they will not cling to us. I understand that it may be more easily said than done for most of us. But with the Holy Spirit, it can be done. So I encourage you to have the heart of David. I encourage you to proclaim that you will set before your eyes no vile thing; that you will learn to hate the deeds of faithless men; and that they will not cling to you. If you are currently winning the sin battle, great. But if you are struggling to make this verse real in your life, I encourage you to pray with all sincerity to the Holy Spirit, that he will help to change your heart.