On October 28, 2024, the price for an ounce of gold was $2,734. That is a lot of money for a little bit of something. Gold is worth that much today because people pay that much for it. Most everything’s value is tied directly to what someone is willing to spend for it.
Do you remember the Beanie Baby craze of the late 1990s? Jake the Mallard, pictured here is listed for sale on eBay for $5,000. I found a few for sale on eBay listed from $1,250-$5,000. These 6-inch stuffed animals are considered valuable because of a mistake printed on the label that makes them rare for collectors. But being listed for sale is not the same thing as actually selling. This plush toy made in China in the late 1990s is only worth what someone pays.
Notice how Jesus brings up value when talking about anxiety. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:25-26.
Consider for a moment how knowing one’s value affects worry.
Jesus says not to worry and then explains that people are more valuable than the other things God takes care of.
Jesus implies that knowing one’s value is a part of overcoming anxiety. If anyone knows how valuable you are, it is Jesus. He spent it all to purchase you out of death and bring you to the knowledge of him. God’s love was proved when he sent his son to die on the cross. Jesus died for me and he died for you. He gave it all so we could be with him forever. Rather than worry about the troubles of today, bank on God’s love.
Pastor John Riley