Futility
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the FUTILITY of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:17-24.
Ralph Whittington is known as the “King of Porn.” He is now 57 years old and he retired in 2000 from being the main reading room curator for the Library of Congress. He received the title “King of Porn” because of his private collection of 500 boxes of pornography that he sold recently to the Museum of Sex in New York City. Ralph lives with just his mother after his wife left him. It could be that she left because there was no longer room for her. A buyer from the museum said that the house was “packed to the rafters,” and that you “had to walk sideways to get through the rooms.” According to Whittington’s mother, Ralph worked day and night after his retirement indexing and cross-referencing. He apparently spent almost all of his free time prior to retirement in the gathering of his collection.
Think of how much time Ralph Whittington spent in his pursuit of nothing. Hours and hours of time spent in useless activity, which accomplished, nothing. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the FUTILITY of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Futility describes Ralph activities in life. Futility is defined as “The quality of having no useful result; uselessness,” and, “Lack of importance or purpose; frivolousness.”
The example that the life of Ralph Whittington gives us is a mild one. The futility of sexual immorality is one of unimaginable waste. Hours and hours and hours of wasted life. What could Ralph have become, what could he still become if not for this addiction? Ralph may not be an alcoholic or doing drugs but his addiction has just as surely resulted in a life of futility.
You may not be wasting your life viewing porn or cataloging all of the pornographic materials that you have, however, you may still be living a life of futility. Are you investing the extra time that you have to the glory of God? Once you know the Lord as your Savior, you should no longer live as the unbelievers live. You are now children of Light (Ephesians 5:8-10) and no longer have to live in darkness. Cast away the useless wasting of your life in pursuit of the pleasures of this world and instead invest in the eternity that is ahead for all those who love the Lord.
(There are those who are living lives of futility accomplishing nothing of eternal value. What could have been done in the Name of the Lord if those hours of time had been invested otherwise?)