15 Perhaps the reason (Onesimus) was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good—16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. Philemon 1:15-16 (NIV)
Value. How good of a judge are you when it comes to value? I know people who can sniff out a bargain a mile away, “I bought this for $___!” I’m like, “Is that good or bad?” because I really don’t know. Like one of the guys from my church, Carlos Mejia , he speaks of a phenomenon called the “Mejia Deal.” Apparently he can get things at a price no one else can. That’s a real gift…a spiritual gift of thriftiness of the Spirit.
Remember when you were a kid and you had enough with a toy already? It just didn’t “do” anything for you anymore. It lacked the luster it once held. Mom asked if you played with it anymore. You informed her: “Mom, that was so last month. I’ve matured since then. Away with that child’s play thing.”” Soon after you noticed something that makes you plan mad—Brother now has it and is having a blast with it. You remember the good old days of fun you had with your priceless, precious, toy. So what do you do? You approach him, grab YOUR toy, push him to the ground, and mutter the word that eloquently communicates the way thing are going to be around here, “MINE!” What happened? When someone wanted what you didn’t its value spiked upward.
You wonder if we truly have a handle on what’s valuable. You wonder if a man in his prime and the same man on his death bed value the same things.
Or what about things that are more valuable because someone important owned it or used it. This is an interesting phenomenon. If you catch an episode of the Antiques Road Show you see this often: “It was just a basic chair. But look at this mark on the bottom. That mark means that it was owned by so n so. They sat in it when they did such n such. That makes your chair priceless.”
Redemption has stories like that: “He was a slave. No one gave him a second thought. He was forgotten by so many. But God saw value and grabbed a hold of his life. Because God touched his life, he’s now family.”
Maybe our “value meter” isn’t tuned to the proper specks because we rarely view ourselves and others as God does: VALUABLE. And when He touches our lives He transforms slaves to sin into sons of God.
Question to consider:
What is God’s true opinion of you?
Do you agree with Him? Why or why not?
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