What Do You Value Most?

 

By Andrea Merrell

For there is no partiality with God.

Romans 2:11 NKJV

 

“Looking back over your life, what do you value most?” the speaker asked.

A man in the audience immediately raised his hand. “Myself,” he said without hesitation. Look at what I’ve accomplished. I started with nothing. Now I have it all.”

In this man’s mind he truly did have it all. Possessions. Positions. Titles. His great wealth and prestige made him feel on top of the world. He had little to no respect for those he felt were beneath him. He considered them of lesser value.

The Bible says, “there is no partiality with God.” In other words, He show no favoritism—regardless of worldly accomplishments or a person’s position in life.

What God values most is a heart that is fully committed to Him. A person who cares more about character, integrity, and generosity than what this world has to offer.

Solomon, the richest and wisest man who ever lived wrote:

So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 NLT)

Without God, life is meaningless, no matter how much stuff we acquire or how many platforms we stand on. We were created with a God-shaped void inside that nothing else can fill except Him. No earthly pleasure or possession can ever truly satisfy our soul.

Where do you place your value?

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

What Do You Value Most?

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this:             

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:30-31 NKJV

 

The question stunned the people in the room. “If catastrophe struck and you had to leave your home immediately, other than a family member or pet, what one item would you take with you?" In other words, the speaker was asking what we considered our most valuable possession.

After a long silence, a lively discussion ensued. “My purse,” one lady said. "It has my driver's license and all my credit cards." 

“My computer,” a man chimed in. "And my box of Cuban cigars," he added. Everyone chuckled. 

The answers continued. My cell phone. The family photo album. My Bible. My grandmother’s antique vase. My dad’s coin collection.

Answers kept coming, some serious, others funny. It was a sobering thought to determine where we place value. The sad part was knowing that every item named was just a thing. A material possession that could be damaged, misplaced, lost, or even stolen. And as the saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.”

Now it’s your turn. Think about it for a moment. What do you value most?

No matter where you place value, here's a sobering thought. Jesus said He would never leave us. He is with us every single moment in every single situation. We are instructed to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Our relationship with Him should be our most valuable possession. That relationship and our love for others should never be compromised or taken for granted. Neither one can ever be damaged, misplaced, lost, or even stolen.

They are ours for all eternity.

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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