Worthless things

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way. – Psalm 119.37

Job wrote ‘I will set no wicked things before my eyes.’

In some ways it is not those ‘wicked’ things that are the worst problems. Those wicked things we can recognise and acknowledge and be on guard against. We can decide to not set those wicked things before our eyes. We don’t always do it, but we have a choice in those things and I think it possible that we can generally avoid those wicked things.

But then there are those other things, those worthless things.

Paul was concerned about these things in the life of spiritual son Timothy. Over and over again he warns against getting involved in silly, petty wasteful, useless, worthless, and even hurtful discussions.

But for some of us those worthless, not bad or wicked, but those worthless things, have a real draw for some reason. We just seem unable to turn aside from them. My battle is politics. I am fascinated by it. I have strong opinions about it. There is nothing wrong with it. But compared to eternal things it is indeed a worthless topic. Sports can be the same way. Nothing wrong with – it can be fun – but if it distracts us from the important things it too is worthless.

So Lord, keep me from getting distracted by the worthless and stir up my heart instead in Your way.