SEPTEMBER 6

Cost vs. Worth

Matthew 6:20

THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS that sound alike, but they are different. Very different when you stop and think about it.

Wait. Before reading on, go back and read those questions again. When you shop you can ask either question, and invariably you’ll be given the price of the item . . . not the value of it. But to be technical about it, the “cost” of something is simply its price. The “worth” of something is its personal value. There’s a world of difference between the two. Any salesperson can quote the cost . . . but only you can determine the worth.

“Cost” is the amount of money it takes to complete a purchase . . . the bill, the tab, the monetary expense required to accomplish a financial transaction. After paying the cost, we receive a receipt that declares we have paid in full what was marked on the price tag . . . and we are legally free to call it our own possession. It may be a bicycle or a raincoat or a box of candy or a new lawn mower or a college education or a painting for the living room or a sailboat.

One of the important spiritual disciplines is learning to both count the cost and realize the worth of following Jesus.

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

MATTHEW 6:20

The difference between handling our resources and living our lives wisely or foolishly is largely determined by the interplay between these two realities. Obviously, we have spent wisely when the cost is eclipsed by the worth. And that must be determined individually. The cost of following Jesus will ultimately be outweighed by the worth of seeing Him face-to-face —and hearing these words: “Well done, good and faithful follower. Enter into your joy!” (see Matthew 25:23).

Before paying the price, always weigh the worth. There’s one exception: following Jesus. That’s worth whatever it costs you.