I read the following in William Barclay's DAILY CELEBRATION, VOL.2, pp.127-128:
I was born in Wick [Scotland]. I had not seen it since 1912, but the extraordinary thing is that when we went back to Wick recently, I immediately and without hesitation recognised the street where we used to stay and could go straight to the house where I was born.
That set me to thinking about memory.
Memory is a frightening thing. There are so many pictures which remain forever unobliterated in our minds. In fact the psychologists tell us that we never forget anything. Everything we have ever done and seen is buried in our minds. It may not be there on a conscious level, but it is buried deep down in the unconscious, and even there it has its effect upon us.
Obviously if we never forget anything, we should be very careful indeed what we give ourselves to remember! [emphasis mine]
[Therefore] We should be careful what we look at.
Sir Joshua Reynolds, the great artist, used to refuse even to look at an inferior painting, because, he said, even to look at an inferior picture had an effect on his own art.
Somewhere the picture of everything that we have seen is buried in the unconscious depths of our memories. Whether we know it or not, that picture is affecting us.
If we allow ourselves to look at soiled and smutted things, there is defilement within our memories, even if we are unaware that it is there.
The same truth obviously applies to the things we listen to or read.
I don't know if I'm an exception or if my experience is normative? I have memories that actually make me wince when they invade my thoughts! I have to "take captive every thought" [II Corinthians 10:5] when they come to my mind! These memories cause me pain! And they are pervasive. It takes stringent effort on my part to rid them from my consciousness! I often go to prayer - out loud! I quote scriptures! I rebuke my enemy!
Oh, how I wish I could just hit 'Delete' on these memories!
If we could just impact our youth with this knowledge, perhaps we could save them from a similar experience.
It's a quick trail to move from this initial observation to the problem of pornography among men [and women] today - even in the Christian community.
I was eleven when my best friend showed me my first pictures of nudes. Even today the statistics report that eleven is typically a child's first exposure to pornographic material.
I refuse to give statistics here because they are all over the chart and can be cited to say just about anything you want to prove. But the fact that pornography is a problem is clear. Christian men [and women] are continually faced with the temptation to seek erotic stimulation from sources that are far too available.
Talk about memory! I recall being a teenager at Family Camp. One year, my future father-in-law - Ken Whippo - was charged with speaking to the boy's class that I was a part of. He spoke clearly on this very topic. He impressed on us the power of the mind! He wanted us to realize that if we allow those images to enter our minds, then our minds can pull up those images at any time! His warning was clear: If you don't put those images in there, then you won't have to struggle with them in the future! Interesting that I can recall this incident from fifty-seven years ago! It kind of proves the point!
Being a godly man or woman calls for an intention to remain pure! This takes determination, a plan, and accountability!
Need help with the determination part?
"Whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things."
Philippians 4:8
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