Live up to your value

What someone is willing to pay for something is what some say determines the 'worth' of the object being bought. I just observed a discussion of a woodworker on social media who crafted a raised dog dish holder from wood, painted it, and then put it up for sale on the social media feed. He was surprised at how much people were willing to pay for the newly crafted item. He found there are a whole lot of people out there very willing to pay for their doggies to have a nice place to dine! He already has thirty orders for more! Now, I am sure he put the doggy dish up at a reasonable price, but the demand for the item outweighed his investment of time, talent, and creativity. I imagine he will be able to create a little 'market' for these items in no time at all because people are willing to pay the price for their dogs. If we are willing to pay a price for the comfort of our animals, I wonder why it is we don't fully appreciate the price God has paid to see our lives set free from the power and pull of sin?

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. (1 Peter 1:18-19 MSG)

We are all on a 'journey' somewhere, but not all of us appreciate what has been done for us so that we may enjoy that journey to the fullest extent! Sometimes we forget the extreme 'value' placed upon us by the 'price' God was willing to pay for our restoration. If we humans are willing to pay such a high price for our animals who are with us for such a short while, why is it hard for us to reconcile that God would pay the ultimate price for us to be with him for all of eternity? As we might already have realized, not all of the journey we were traveling apart from Christ was all that rosy. Sometimes the journey got downright dirty and nasty. The 'dirt' we found clinging to our lives almost weighed us down with a guilt far too heavy for us to bear up underneath.

We are on a journey, but not one we travel without consequence. Either we experience the consequences of separation from God, or the consequences of being brought near to him through his grace and the shed blood of his dear Son, Jesus. There is no greater price - no more perfect a price to be paid. Therefore, we are encouraged to be aware of the journey we are now on - to realize that it is no longer one of 'empty' or 'vain' pursuit, but of 'extreme value' and 'fulfilled joy'. We are to live with a deep consciousness of the price that has been paid and then to learn to live up to the value God places on our lives!

All of us have probably heard about living by our values, but maybe it is time we take a different view of this and learn to live up to our value! The value of our lives was clearly determined by the price God paid - we now need to live with a consciousness (awareness) of the value he declares about each of our lives. Sometimes we 'discount' the value of our lives, but let me assure you that no life bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus is to be 'undervalued'. It is one of supreme worth and as such, we are to live with a new awareness of this future we have been prepared to enjoy with him for all of eternity. Just sayin!