Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

Psalm 119:37

Sometimes my eyes see worthless things that I am not ready for. I innocently open a magazine at a doctor’s office and see a scantily clad woman or man in an advertisement. I watch a movie with a scene I am totally unprepared for, or I’m driving along and see a billboard that should never have been placed in public. These seem to be unavoidable situations in our world.

But, what about the avoidable? I keep going to places in the public arena expecting decency and seeing borderline pornographic pictures and reading filthy language. Why do I go back?

Where is this place? Facebook. Who are the offenders? College students who seem to have – at least temporarily – forgotten everything their parents taught them while they were at home. And they pay for this!?

I read in the newspaper that middle class boys who go to secular colleges today are more likely to be in trouble with the law and have problems with alcohol than their peers who go to work straight from high school. It is also true that most students now take more than four years to complete college. Do they just have too much time on their hands?

When our son was starting college at the University of Pittsburgh in 2002 we went to an orientation session for the students. They talked about how to complete college in four years. Their number one recommendation to accomplish this was to go to class. I was dumbfounded that they had to give that as advice. Wasn’t it obvious? The second one was to take a full course load – at least 15 credits a semester.

It seems to me that college students today, especially professing Christians, need to go to the Psalms. Turn their eyes from worthless things — pornography, alcohol, endless video games — and take on life in God’s ways. Endeavor to complete school well, doing all as unto the Lord (Ephesians 6:6-7). We need young people who will use their gifts, acts of service, and talents for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:4-7), not for their own pleasure at the expense of everything else.

Sometimes I am embarrassed for these young people. They are living for today not realizing the age of technology we live in. Out of curiosity I googled the name of one of them and his Facebook pictures were the first thing that came up. That would be an interesting find for a potential employer!

Sometimes I am embarrassed for their parents. They certainly did not raise their children to act like this. I cringe at the thought of their finding this coming from the mouths of their babes.

So, as a Christian to a supposed Christian, is it more loving to let them go and just love them as they are? Or do we warn them? Do we tactfully let them know that they are not honoring God or their parents and allow the Holy Spirit, if He is at work in them, to do the rest? Do we talk to the parents?

The second question is, do I “unfriend” them so that I keep my eyes from worthless things or do I hang in there hoping they will see the Light and stop with the pictures and the language?

“I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me,” Psalm 101:3 In our culture this verse sounds arrogant – but should this not be the attitude of every Christian?