Worthless Things

The Bible's longest chapter is a hymn of thanks to God for his revealed truth. Many gems appear among the 176 verses of Psalm 119, including this one: "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word" (v. 37).

What are these "worthless things" from which the psalmist wants to turn his eyes? In the original Hebrew, this expression refers to something unsubstantial, unreal, or false. It appears in the third commandment (Exodus 20:7 King James Version), which warns us not to use the Lord's name "in vain" or unthinkingly, as if his name is a worthless thing.

What Money Can't Buy

The problem is, "worthless things" clamor for our attention. If people struggled with the "continual lust for more" (Ephesians 4:19) in biblical times, what about us? They didn't watch TV commercials enticing them to buy new cars, fancy jewelry, and stylish clothes. They didn't have e-Bay, credit cards, or the New York Stock Exchange. They didn't face the holiday hype that moves us to buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.

Solomon reminds us, "Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath" (Proverbs 11:4). Peter says our faith is "of greater worth than gold" (1 Peter 1:7). Jesus asks, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).

Dollars can't measure a person's net worth, but material things can distract us from Heaven's true value scale. How can you put a price tag on a grandchild's hug? On a pleasant conversation with a friend? On a soul forever saved? How can you measure the worth of a peaceful night's rest, or the quiet joys of a 50-year marriage?

Misplaced Priorities

But materialism isn't our only problem. Other "worthless things" divert our attention from the true riches of God. Charles Spurgeon said, "All the fools do not dance or drink; all the fools do not make jests; many there are of somber mood, who spend money for that which is not bread, and their labor for that which does not satisfy."

What are our priorities—really?

It's tempting to become overly-concerned about our careers, obsessed with gaining the approval of others, and preoccupied with our own entertainment. When hobbies cease to be restful recreation and instead become ways to waste countless hours watching spectator sports or compulsively surfing the Internet, "worthless things" have captured our eyes.

And what about the superficiality that pervades the evangelical subculture? Church-shoppers search for a feel-good experience instead of a place to serve, as if the holy things of God were consumer commodities. We've become sloppy with our worship, selfish with our time, and careless with our tongues. But James 1:26 reminds us, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." There's that word again: Worthless!

When we "survey the wondrous cross" and what Christ did for us there, we will agree with Isaac Watts who wrote, "All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood." And we will add a new petition to our prayer repertoire: Lord, turn our eyes away from worthless things! Help us focus on the kingdom of Heaven—the pearl of greatest price.