Taking Inventory!

It is interesting when reading a passage of scripture how at one time a certain portion of a verse may stand out while at another time it is another portion of the verse that grips the heart. That is good reason to never say, “Oh, I’ve read that passage before” and then skip over it. Continuing to read through God’s Word as if we had never read it before is the best way to pick up thoughts that were perhaps missed before or were at least not as striking as they should have been. Recently reading through Psalm 119, I came across a verse that had the latter portion underlined from a previous reading. However, on this most recent reading it was the first part of the verse that captured my attention.

The verse reads…
“TURN MY EYES FROM LOOKING AT WORTHLESS THINGS; and give me life in your ways.” ( Psalm 119:37 ESV)

Perhaps the first portion of this verse struck me because I had been spending some of my vacation time cleaning out our garage and in the process had been laying various items near the street in front of our house. Next to these items I had set up a “free stuff” sign and was delighted to see people stop and take away things they wanted or felt they could use. One person even stated, “Your free stuff is my new stuff.” When people thanked me for the free items I thanked them for helping me clear space in our garage. Among many of the items I had set out to give away were things I had apparently valued at one time, for why else would I have stored them up? However, it was now very easy to give them away (even if I had originally paid something for them) because they were no longer of any VALUE to me. Many of these things had not been used in so long there was no sense allowing them to TAKE UP SPACE. There was a sense in which they were now WORTHLESS to me, otherwise I would have sold them rather than given them away. Now that I have cleared a lot of space in our garage and backyard shed, I need to be careful to keep turning “MY EYES FROM LOOKING AT WORTHLESS THINGS” or I will end up piling more junk in their place. As I survey what remains in our garage my desire is to leave only those things that WILL BE USED and that possess some TRUE value.

Even more important is it for us to consider this with regard to our individual lives. It is far too easy to fill our lives with a lot of WORTHLESS stuff; activities and focuses that take up space and time without adding anything of VALUE. Like the psalmist, we need to pray for God’s help in turning our eyes away from looking at worthless things and to focus on that which is of VALUE in accordance with the ways of God. If we are not leaving room for God’s things our life is too cluttered and is not being used (like my garage) for its intended purpose.

Paul expressed a statement regarding his own transition of values as follows:
“(7) But whatever gain I had, I COUNTED AS LOSS FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST. (8) Indeed, I count everything as loss BECAUSE OF THE SURPASSING WORTH OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and COUNTED THEM AS RUBBISH, IN ORDER THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST.” ( Philippians 3:7-8 ESV)

My view of the value of “stuff” in my garage has changed. Like Paul, our view of what we value in our life has most likely gone through transitions and some changes may still need to come. Let us take inventory, making sure what we are filling our life with is of TRUE AND LASTING VALUE in accordance with God’s Will. We may need to do some downsizing. There may be activities and focuses that need to be trashed. Let us seek God’s guidance in having our eyes continually turned toward things of TRUE WORTH so that we will find ourselves holding onto all that is of the GREATEST VALUE for this life and the eternity to come.

Have a great day STORING UP GODLY WEALTH!
Carl

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