Ready for the Road Ahead
I came across a sad confession the other day as I read through the postings of my friends on Facebook. A young father wrote of his feelings of failure in this life. I sensed his feelings were due to that measuring stick we call "The American Dream". A man is supposed to find himself a good job that pays well and allows him to acquire all the material pleasures of the good life- a home, a car, and of course, a big screen tv. It is a common feature of life in these United States. People are valuable if they own things of value.
What things are considered valuable today? The most valuable athlete in the world is Tiger Woods who has amassed $110 million over 13 years through his winnings, endorsements and business ventures. The most valuable home, owned by Mukesh Ambani, is a $1 billion skyscraper mansion called "Antilla" in Mumbai, India. The first 6 floors are a parking garage. The remainder of the 27 story building houses Mukesh, his wife, 3 children and 600 servants. The most valuable gem is a flawless, blue diamond estimated to be worth $4 million. The most valuable car (which can still be driven legally on the street) is a Bugatti Veyron. It costs only $1,700,000.
The psalmist warns us in Psalm 49 (vv. 16-20) to remember that wealth accumulated on this earth cannot be taken with us when we die. Our sense of value and accomplishment must be taken from a different criteria than that of the world. Oddly enough, the story of Cinderella illustrates what the Bible teaches. Cinderella's father had married a proud and haughty woman, who relegated Cinderella to servitude after he died. The "wicked" stepmother repeatedly told Cinderella that she was "common" and of little value. But when the prince enters the story, all that changes. The extent of the prince's love for Cinderella compels him to search the kingdom high and low until he finds her. His love demonstrates her value and he goes to great lengths to be reunited with her.
Jesus told a parable about the same kind of love in Luke 15 (vv.3-7). A shepherd with a large flock has lost one of his sheep. Rather than leave it in the wilderness to succumb to the elements, the shepherd searches out the lost sheep and brings the little wanderer back to the fold. This is a picture of God's love. He has gone to great lengths in expressing His love for us and demonstrating our value to Him (see Phil. 2:5-8).
Perhaps in these times of economic uncertainty it becomes easy to fall prey to calculating our value in terms of our earthly possessions and accomplishments as my friend on Facebook did. Maybe you have been having similar feelings. If those doubts should arise, remember, God so loved you, that He sent His Son to save you. The world and its value system may lead you to believe that you are common. That is not true! The prince has traveled throughout the kingdom to find you. The Shepherd has searched the wilderness to bring you home. There is no greater value than that.
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