Worthy or Worthless?

 

 

People use many negative words to describe worthlessness, from a mild ‘useless’ to ‘total waste of skin’ none of which describe the way God evaluates. He loves people and gave His Son to die for us, telling us to love one another as He loves us.

However, the Bible does use the word WORTHLESS in several ways. One of the words is also translated image or idol. Another word is a metaphor for vanity, futility, even temporality and carries the idea of worthless. A third word signifies ineffectiveness and is translated as “vain, worthless, falsehood and futile.”

Examples in the OT include references to worthless idols:

Deuteronomy 32:21. “They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.”

Jeremiah 51:17–18. “Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.”

Jeremiah 18:15. “But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways . . . .”

Psalm 31:6. “I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.”

More examples use this principle to describe worthless effort and worthless talk:

Psalm 127:1–2. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

Exodus 23:1–3. “And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Exodus 23:1–3. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.”

Also, the OT says the God’s name in vain is worthless:

Exodus 20:7. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

Deuteronomy 6:13. “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”

The NT tells of our freedom in Christ yet the early Christians knew that some of what they said and did had no worth in the plan of God. Worth was expressed in several ways, all to do with the will of God and His desire for the way I am to live. Some things are not wrong but are nevertheless worthless. As 1 Corinthians 10:23 says, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.”

Some things are not wrong but can distract me from doing good because they control my life. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”

In 2 Corinthians 12:1, Paul said, “I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it . . . .” and went on to write of things with greater worth.

God has purpose in what may not be appealing so I need to consider His value system when deciding what is worthless. Hebrews 12:10 is one example: “For (our fathers) disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.”

What I think is worthwhile might not be for everyone else. I can actually trip up other people by doing what I feel free to do. For this, 1 Corinthians 8:9 says, “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” and 10:24 adds, “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”

This is because God gave “the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” not so I could la-te-dah through life considering others worthless or even doing harm by being occupied with some worthless activity. Instead, I must GAZE INTO HIS GLORY and stay close to Him, being familiar with His teaching lest I attach worth to a thing and waste time or hurt others.