You are what you watch

It was an unpleasantly hot autumn afternoon on the London underground. Having read all the adverts and glanced one too many times at my neighbour's newspaper, my eyes settled on the man opposite. His t-shirt was blue, slightly grubby and bore these words: "You are what you watch"

I imagine it was a commentary on film or TV watching. If so, that would make me James Bond or a character from NCIS - for better or for worse. But the concept intrigued me - a deeper truth lurked in those crumpled words.

Where we put our eyes impacts our Christian walk:

• If I watch the attitudes of the people around me to find my identity, I will live in fear of man rather than fear of God.
• If I look to my job to find security I will store up riches on earth rather than riches in heaven.
• If I set my eyes on my hobbies (even church activities) to bring fulfilment, I will sideline the life in all its fullness brought by Christ
• If I gaze upon my family as a source of hope, I will push the wonder of eternity into the periphery of my view

I guess, in part, that's why the writer of Hebrews encourages us to live our Christian lives with our eyes very carefully positioned:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

It's an inescapable fact: you are what you watch.