What Are You Worth?

By Al Behel   “...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)     A few years ago a politician legally changed his name to “Absolutely Nobody”. He was trying to convey a message that the office for which he was running should be eliminated. There are lots of people who see themselves as “nobodies”. Perhaps they consider that to be humility, or that they have achieved so little in life, or that no one really cares about them.     A few years ago the daily news was filled with stories of greed and avarice which resulted in the loss of countless jobs and billions of dollars. In the middle of this crisis we learned of executives whose income ranges from $25 million to more than $3 billion. Frankly, I don’t believe anyone’s work is worth $25 million a year, to say nothing of the absurdity of someone making billions off someone else’s money.     On the other hand, there is a sense in which the worth of an individual cannot be calculated in monetary values. When we look at what God has done to redeem us and save us from the condemnation of sin, we get a different picture. It is not because of the work we do for Him, but because of the value of the soul within us.     We tend to estimate one’s worth by how much money he has or by the titles he holds, or by how good an athlete he is. Some are gauged by the important things they do for others. But, we need to realize that our true value lies in how important we are to God. God has declared our value by creating us in His image (Genesis 1:27), and by the gift of His only Son to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).     When one refuses to live up to his created purpose or to accept a new identity through Jesus he may accumulate millions of dollars in his bank account and still live in spiritual poverty. He is very, very poor. All his material wealth will be left behind and he will present to God empty handed. Jesus asked a penetrating question for all of us to consider, “What is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

- Al Behel served the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN, for many years prior to this death in April 2022. The congregation may be contacted through their website - https://gsmchurchofchrist.com/