33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
And keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Your ways.
38 Establish Your [m]word to Your servant,
[n]As that which produces reverence for You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me through Your righteousness.
While there may be a tendency to focus on the spiritual to the exclusion of the material, that isn’t what God is about. After all, He created this physical world, and He has a thing or two in His Word to help us navigate it. Ok, that would be underselling it, as there are tons of nuggets in the Bible that are very practical. The psalmist knew this also, and we see this highlighted especially in vv. 36-37.
The psalmist asks God to help him avoid the temptation for dishonest gain and to avoid looking at vanity. Whether we own a business, manage one for someone else, or are a lowly “grunt” in the trenches, the temptation will present itself. But whenever we are tempted to cut corners, remember who gave you the skills you use every day.
Everything we do, we should do it like we are doing it for God. Not just in a noble, I’m taking the high road, sort of way. But literally as if God were your customer, your boss, etc. Jesus told us, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” That applies to our good deeds, and our shortcuts alike. And whatever you do, don’t do it for vanity.
That is, don’t do it to look good, because you will come out smelling like dirty diapers. This week there have been a lot of athletes winning gold medals, all with a wide variety of responses. Some are so gracious and honored, and it is enough to make you cry (for joy) at their incredible accomplishment. And then others make you want to cry for entirely different reasons. They’ve fallen victim to vanity, at least for the moment, and it doesn’t look good on them.
So anytime a shortcut comes your way, think about it long and hard. Is it really worthwhile, is it actually a great innovation that will save you and others time? Or is it just the easy way out, shirking your duties and leaving a bitter taste with your customers? Ask God for guidance, incline your heart to His testimonies, and leave all the glory to Him. Your reward will be plenty, and even more so when you see your Savior face to face.