Worth, Worthy and the Opposite

After reading in the Psalms recently, I was struck by the concept of worth, well, actually worthlessness.  For example, in Psalm 101 we find this:  “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless (v.3).”  And, in Psalm 119:  “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways (v. 37).”

In order to consider what is worthless, we should consider what has worth.  To that, the Bible speaks clearly:  “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12)

 If worth is measured by power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing, which are all pretty good measurements, then the One who has infinite worth is Jesus, the Lamb that was slain.  And if we want to consider what it worthless, it is probably the opposite of all those things.  But perhaps it would still be good to define some words:

Worth:  the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held

Worthy:  having worth value; having sufficient worth or importance

Worthless:  lacking worth, valueless, useless

Unworthy:  lacking in excellence or value; inappropriate to one's condition or station

 

So here are some uses of the words in the Scriptures:

1 Chronicles 16:26 “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.”

Prov 12:11 “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

Jer 2:5 Thus says the Lord:  “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

Phil 3:7-8   “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  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 count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Rev 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created.”

Luke 17:10  So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.’

You are probably starting to connect the dots:

God is the one who is worthy.

One way He demonstrated His worth was by creating all things.

Our attention should be on Jesus, God’s Son, who also is worthy.

There is surpassing worth in knowing Jesus.

Our worth is not measured by what we do.

There are lots of things that are worthless in comparison to God. 

When we pursue that which is worthless, we demonstrate a lack of sense. 

When we are consumed by that which is worthless, our lives tend to take on that same quality.

So, please do connect the dots but do so in a way that that draws you away from that which is worthlessness and toward the One who is worth everything!