Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”
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Job is an Old Testament book we probably don’t read very often or maybe never have read. Job was a very righteous guy. He had a serious commitment to living out his righteousness and living out a pure life before God.
In the context of this verse and this chapter, a lot of bad things have happened to Job. His friends have come to him and said that if you were really righteous these things would not happen to you. Job is defending himself in this chapter. He’s taking an inventory of his life saying, “I haven’t sinned here, or here, or here. God is not punishing me for my sins.” He now comes to chapter 31 and says, “I haven’t sinned with my eyes either.”
Job is so focused on God and engaged, he could say that his eyes were pure. He had not looked lustfully with his eyes. Wow!
Lust was not something Job wanted to have a part of. He didn’t want it to characterize his life or trip him up. He has obviously taken some proactive measures to shore up his eyes and mind. He made a “covenant”
What is a covenant?
THE IMPORTANCE OF A COVENANT
A covenant is a coming together. It’s a solemn agreement between two parties. Job knew that his eyes could trip him up. He took action beforehand. He wanted his will to become one with his eyes.
Job was a married guy. This commitment to God was also a commitment to his wife.
Job brought his eyes in submission to his will, first with an agreement.
I’ve noticed in my own life when I make a commitment, a promise or write something down it has a better chance of sticking in my life. Commitments make me stronger and more aware.
I still have to choose to live by this covenant daily. Job walked daily in this covenant. He stayed engaged in his mission to be righteous and to be a good representative of God.
INTEGRITY
What’s amazing is that now he’s called into question. “Where have you sinned Job?” is the question his friends are asking. He can say with integrity he didn’t sin.
If I was called into question about my sin and about my eyes, I certainly couldn’t say this. I messed up today and yesterday. What day don’t I mess up? I guess I figured with all of my recovery work and intensity I would get to a point where looking lustfully at a girl wouldn’t be a problem. But it is a problem. I recognize that God has hardwired me to be attracted to the opposite sex. He has made me a visual person. And my eyes are a part of my life that I have chosen to take in an unhealthy direction… many times. I’ve had two and a half decades of looking lustfully at a woman. It’s going to take me a while to get to where Job is. It hasn’t come instantaneously.
Job’s not a perfect guy. It’s not that he didn’t sin. Of course he did. But he was not ignorant about his life and his behaviors. He kept his sins and failings up-to-date. He kept his eyes in check.
I can feel God calling me to make a solemn covenant with my eyes so I can be better in this area.
We think our eye battle is a battle that can’t be won. We think it’s too hard. We think there is too much temptation. We believe everyone looks, everyone objectifies, and after all, I’m a guy, and that’s what guys do.
Job proves this thinking wrong.
LOOKING LUSTFULLY IS THE PROBLEM
I’m also reminded that the look is not the problem. Looking lustfully is the problem. Coveting. Objectifying. Fantacizing. Trying to work it out so you can touch the woman.
GOD’S VERY HIGH STANDARD
This verse reminds us of God’s high standard. He wants us to not look lustfully. This high standard is right up there with Ephesians 5:3 which commands us to not even have a “hint of sexual immorality” in us.
RECOVERY PRINCIPLES
- God wants us to be pure with our eyes. It’s possible with God’s power.
- Our eyes are not going to get pure by themselves. We have to be very intentional. We have to engage our eyes.
- We need to work toward healthy looks and healthy relationships with women.
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Jeff Fisher lives in Raleigh, NC. He and his wife run the site www.porntopurity.com, a site designed to offer hope, encouragement and resources to those who are affected by sexual sin. Checkout Jeff’s podcasts on I-Tunes: Top Tips For Sexual Purity, Top Verses For Sexual Purity, and For Ministers Who Struggle.
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