Value - relative worth, merit, or importance
With that definition in mind, I pose a question. What is more valuable...a pound of gold or a pound of wheat?
As of this writing and according to the trade market, a pound of gold is valued at $40,150.00 and wheat at $.1068 per pound. This means that if you had a pound of gold, you could trade it for 375,936 pounds of wheat. That's a lot of cereal!
Any person in their right mind would prefer the gold, right?
Well...not necessarily. In your current life situation, you would prefer the gold, but what if your life situation was different? What if you had been stranded on a deserted island for a month? What if you were lost somewhere in the wilderness? What if you were living in the midst of a famine? Your answer might change then.
Remember, value is defined as relative worth. The value of a thing is determined by how it relates to you in your situation. A pound of gold, though highly valued now, can be relatively worthless in other situations. You can't eat it!
With this in mind, it would be wise to consider possible upcoming life scenarios and to consider what might be valuable in those scenarios and prepare accordingly (see Proverbs 6:6-8). This is why investors diversify their investments. Only a fool would "put all his eggs into one basket" when it comes to the market. The volatility of the market promotes the need for a wide range of investments in order to hedge and be protected against various unforeseen tragedies.
With that being said, is there something that you and I can invest in that is a sure bet? Something that cannot fail? Something that cannot be stolen or become devalued in any way? According to the Maker of all things, there is.
God tells us that His kingdom is forever (Isaiah 9:6-7). It is a place where moths and rust do not corrupt and where thieves cannot access (Matthew 6:19-21).
If we believe that this is true and is a sure bet like He says, then why would we not "put all our eggs into this basket"? We would be fools not to! Jesus says it like this, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). Don't be a short-sighted fool! Invest into the eternal kingdom, not the fading one!
I leave you today with the famous quote from the martyred missionary to Ecuador, Jim Elliott. He wisely said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Later, he would prove that he meant it!
Amen, Jim. We will meet sometime soon!
Pastor Jeremy
