“Make no useless acquaintances, learn no useless skills or subject.” This statement is attributed to Rothschild. In this age of high technology, there is so much we can learn about almost anything and everything. There are experts in fields that should be of no interest to us.
We once knew a man who could tell you which team won every World Series since they began, and he had all the lifetime batting averages memorized of all those in baseball’s hall of fame. Another man, while in prison, memorized the county seat of every county in every state in the union. Some people know every detail about every movie and the stars who appeared in them, others are knowledgeable about antique cars, some are civil war buffs or stamp and coin experts.
Our social life is a good indicator of our true interests. We tend to find friends among those with similar interests, and we seem to become like those with whom we associate. We need to carefully choose our friends and acquaintances. What do our friends like to talk about? What do they like to do? Is it compatible with our walk in the Truth? Are we more comfortable with those who share a common interest in some useless hobby rather than those in the Truth?
We need to become selective in what we read. The wise man Solomon said that “of making of books there is no end.” He said this before the printing press was invented. If Solomon could visit a large library today, he would be amazed at how much truer his statement had become.
We will never know everything about anything. What is important for us to know? Paul told young Timothy, “The holy scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation.” Is there anything more important for us to understand than God’s plan with the earth, and with us?
We may think we need to at least read the paper to keep up with current events. But the Sunday newspaper for most large cities weighs several pounds. You would not get it all read before the next Sunday if you read it all day long for a week. There are, of course, the six daily papers that arrive in between. How much of this information is useful? We are wise to realize that so many things that the world considers important have no real lasting value, yet these unimportant things consume their time and their lives. It is so true that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.
The Psalmist tells us, “The LORD taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man.” We might add, nor is He impressed by our handicap in golf or our bowling average or our stamp collection or trading cards. We need to make sure that the world’s trivia does not absorb us.
Let us be careful how we spend our days for that is how we spend our lives. Paul gave us good advice when he said, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One