Looking at Worthless Things

Psalms 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

How many things do you look at during the day that are worthless? I'm not here even thinking about things that are sinful to look at like pornography and the like; but things that have no worth.

The writer of Psalm 119 is contrasting having life in God's ways, from looking at worthless things. So presumably looking at worthless things takes away the ability to have a life which accords to the way God intended, and looking at things of worth gives a life which does accord with the way God intended. How many of us want to live a life the way God wants us to live that same life? I do, I do! But is it as simple as changing the things that I look at? Maybe.

What are the things of worth that God intends for my eyes to be gazing upon? Well, Psalm 119 alone mentions the Hebrew word for life 15 other times. Each time the word is mentioned, it is linked with some synonym for God's Word (the Bible). Whether it is a promise from the Bible, or a precept, or a law; each time the author of Psalm 119 mentions what gives us life, it is linked to something God has said in His Word.

So, I ask the question again; how many things do you look at during the day that are worthless? I am sorry to say that I look at plenty. Mostly these days, the worthless things I look at are associated with screen time. Things that I see while I am browsing through Flipboard, Reeder, or Safari on my iPhone or iPad. They are not things that are sinful to look at, but they sure don't have much worth. They are mundane things, like the third news article of the same event, but from yet another perspective; a rumor as to what the new iPhone will look like, or Monday morning humor from Kevin DeYoung's blog. Maybe you do not have any issues of looking at these worthless things, but how about the TV, Home and Garden magazine, Readers Digest, or E! Hollywood gossip?

I am not going to keep listing the things that we look at that are worthless, you know what your eyes linger over way better than I. You know those things that occupy your mind and that they are not giving you life according to God's ways. Will you give them up? Will I give them up? What is on the line if we don't? Whatever you determine the answer to this question is, we must begin where the author of the Psalm did; by praying through Jesus that God will turn my eyes.