Listen

Lead me on the trail of your commandments because that is what I want. Turn my heart to your laws, not to greedy gain. Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Make me live by your way.

Psalm 119:35-37

Think

I have a hard time getting rid of things, especially things that were once my favorites. Even if I know that an old T-shirt has seen better days, it’s hard to accept that I no longer want it. I was once so excited about owning these things! How can they be worthless to me now?

It wouldn’t be accurate to say that “it’s just stuff.” If that were true, getting rid of it would be easy. A ratty old concert shirt carries memories of the concert itself: the music, the people, the feeling of the moment. The stuff is sometimes important—but only because it reminds us of something much bigger than a T-shirt.

When the psalmist prays, “Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things,” it’s really a prayer to turn toward the things that matter: God’s laws of love, the people in our lives, and the values that guide us. If we trust that we won’t forget those things, it becomes just a little bit easier to let go of the stuff.

Catherine Healy

Question to Ponder:

What is one item you own that reminds you of something bigger?

Pray

God our Creator, you made the world and everything in it. Turn my heart toward your love for me, and help me not to focus on worthless things, so that I can pay attention to what really matters. Amen.

Go

“Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.”

– Misty Copeland, American ballet dancer