March 7, 2022 - Is it WORTH it?

What’s it gonna cost? That is a common question when entering any endeavor… thus we hear the phrase to “count the cost.” And although there is some great truth in that statement that we could uncover, I want to look at it from a different perspective… not what does it cost, but instead what is it WORTH to you? Does it really matter to you? How important is it? 

As an athlete, I remember times going through my injury rehab where I had to ask if it was WORTH it… rehab could at times feel like torture and causes one to really evaluate its importance… as a dad, I watched my son blow through 3 ACL tears in a 2 year span… with each recovery being a bit more physically and mentally taxing… and even though he came back to play some college ball, he was left with so much lingering pain and doubt that it eventually led to the conclusion that it wasn’t WORTH it…

There is an old business adage that something is simply WORTH what someone is willing to pay/give for it… a price tag doesn’t determine WORTH! Price tags are like talk… meaningless until someone puts action to it. Ultimately, dedication/commitment is driven by WORTH and purpose!

(Side note: Realize how precious you are to God… how much you are WORTH to Him… by evaluating how much He was willing to give for you! For God so loved.. that He gave… (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

So, I ask you this week… what is God WORTH to you? Not your salvation, it is a gift from Him… but your response in gratitude for that gift… What are you willing to pay/give to carry out what He has entrusted to you?

I preached yesterday on numerous areas God has entrusted to us… here are some things to consider this week: 

·         He entrusted the Gospel to us… 1 Thessalonians 2:4… so, what are the lost WORTH to you?

·         He entrusted the Word to us… 1 Corinthians 4:1-2… what are new believers who need to be fed/discipled WORTH to you?

·         He entrusted time to use here on earth to you… Ephesians 5:15-16… so, how are you spending it?

·         He entrusted your finances to you… 2 Corinthians 9:7-8… what things have enough WORTH to you to invest your treasure in? (A simple test, “Show me your bank statement and I will tell you what is important to you”)

·         He entrusted your troubles to you… say what?... yes, your troubles are meant to be opportunities… Philippians 1:12-14, 21… if the first couple of things mentioned carry WORTH in your life, then even your struggles will direct you toward what is truly important to you…

As I left the town I was preaching in yesterday, I drove for a few hours and then had to stop for gas… that stop caused me to pause and ask the very questions I am writing about now… it was a stop with some hardships… we had recently paid a pretty hefty price for some repairs on our van, and now I stared at a gas pump that had stopped, without the van being fully topped off, at $100. My first thought was to post a picture and complain about fuel prices, which in turn would look like a political post… but instead I came to this conclusion: IT WAS WORTH IT!!! I had just had an opportunity to share God’s amazing grace with a group of people, and to challenge them, as I am you now, to steward their lives in such a way as to show how much God, and His plan, are WORTH to them! It wouldn’t have been WORTH it for just taking a Sunday-afternoon-drive, but there was a bigger purpose than that!