Valuing God

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

– John 10:7-10

A number of unrelated events recently collided, causing me to realize once again how short our time on earth actually is. In the context of eternity, it is immeasurably brief. If I were to snap my fingers and say our time is like that, I would grossly exaggerate its length in relation to eternity. How long is 50, 100, 150 years compared to forever? Infinitesimally small, but math doesn’t work well when one of the variables is infinite.

I mention this, not in sadness, but in awe of the gift that today is, and I am thinking about our purpose and the opportunities that will present themselves today for each of us to accomplish steps in line with our purpose. Perhaps our most valuable commodity is time, and the brevity of it should cause us to concentrate on matters of consequence and value. We should begin by asking, what do I value? Or perhaps more importantly, what should I value? And then consider whether our use of time reflects the answer.

As I ponder this, it occurs to me that, because our time here on earth is instantaneously brief compared to eternity, and while eternity is, well, forever, shouldn’t we spend at least some of our time considering matters of eternal consequence?

I have heard many questions and statements revealing a flawed understanding that the good news of Jesus Christ is really about good and bad, presenting restrictions on behavior and a moral code whereby those who do good earn God’s favor and reward. However, at its core, the gospel is not about good or bad human behavior because only God is good. It is about death and life. God is the author of life. He is the source of life. And through Christ Jesus we gain connection with the Life Source, the First Cause, the Alpha and Omega, and we gain new life, spiritual life, eternal life, the kingdom of God or, according to Jesus, we gain life itself.  

Jesus explains this aspect of His mission directly saying, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus came offering life. When He says the words He speaks to people who are walking and breathing and listening – to people who are physically alive; yet Jesus offers “life.” A rational approach might be to interpret Jesus’ offer as an offer of a new form of life, not physical life, but spiritual life, Godly life, life lived in connection with God. However, on this occasion, Jesus does not use adjectives. He explains that He came offering “life,” indicating that individuals who do not accept His gift do not receive life, thus are dead and by their choice will continue to be dead.

This seems important. This seems to be a matter of consequence and something we should value, but how often do we think about it or talk about it?  

God showers His holy gift of grace over the earth; yet some never have eyes to see or ears to hear. Here we are, surrounded by people who may not know Christ Jesus and may be the walking dead, and Christ Jesus offers the gift of life to everyone. Shouldn’t we want to tell everyone about His holy, gracious gift? 

Years ago we stayed on the tenth floor of a high rise overlooking the beach. One afternoon as we stood on the balcony admiring the scene, we saw a dark figure in the water moving parallel to the beach about fifty feet from the shore. As it moved closer we realized it was a shark and families were playing in waves oblivious to the risk heading towards them. We shouted trying to get their attention, but they could not hear us. Some people on a balcony below us heard, and they started shouting and then people on the beach heard and they ran to tell people in the water. Strangers worked together helping people in harm’s way because life is precious.

As we consider the amazing gift of grace given to us, shouldn’t we want to nurture it, guard it and embrace it? Shouldn’t we value the gift and treat it with care, but much more importantly, shouldn’t we value the gift giver, Jesus Christ Himself? So I ask myself again, what it is that I truly value? Does my life reflect my answer?

I recall a dream. I rarely remember dreams, but when I woke from this dream I continued to ponder it. Even now I cannot get it out of my mind. In the dream I was waiting in line at a checkout counter. A young man in front of me stood with a box about the size of a shoebox. He asked the clerk for a pack of cigarettes. The clerk turned, grabbed a pack and as the scanner pinged he asked, “Anything else?” The young man shook his head indicating “No” and looked down to the box he was holding. He pulled out a massive, palm-sized silver coin about a half-inch thick and placed it on the counter, then another, and another. The coins were works of art. One depicted a man riding a horse and the horse protruded from the face of the coin like a sculpture. I noticed that each coin bore the face value of one US dollar. They were silver dollars like none I had ever seen, and I realized that the young man was about to trade a pile of these amazing treasures for a pack of cigarettes. The clerk asked to see the young man’s ID, and he pulled out a card that was clearly a fake ID. Then I woke.

The image of the horse sculpted on the coin was seared in my mind. I wondered what happened next. In that alternative universe where those events were happening, what happened next? There were so many options. Did the clerk merely send him away with his coins based on the fake ID? Did I offer to exchange some paper money for the coins so the young man could use paper money to buy what he desired, and I could take the treasure? So many options exist.

I was filled with heart-wrenching sadness that the young man failed to realize the value of what he possessed. He desired to trade a treasure for something that would kill him.

Last year I watched a documentary on contemporary art, The Price of Everything. The filmmaker spoke with artists, collectors and dealers about value and price relating to works of art. One collector said, “Most people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Our time here on earth is short. None of us know how much time we have. Whether we realize it or not, while here, we are preparing for eternity. For most of my life, I focused on temporal, worldly, temporary matters. I focused on the next rung up the ladder, the next achievement signifying success, the next raise, the next promotion. Often, the people I chose to invest time in were those who might be able to advance my career.

If we claim to value God, if we claim to be Jesus Christ’s disciples, our use of time should support our claims. Like the young man in my dream, for much of my life I regularly exchanged something of tremendous value for pursuits leading away from life. God is the source of life. Jesus Christ offers life. He connects us with God, the Life Source, the Alpha and Omega.  

Each morning we wake is an unbelievable blessing, filled with opportunities. We should ask ourselves, what do I value? What is important? What will I do with today?

May God’s glory shine through you, may you be His beacon of light, may you see the opportunities along your path to reveal His love, His light, His life to others.