What do You Value?

It isn’t uncommon for collectors to pay large sums of money for sporting memorabilia. A man once paid nearly $93,000 for a blood-stained sock worn in a playoff game by a big-time baseball player. Another collector paid over $650,000 for a hockey jersey worn during the famous “Miracle on Ice” hockey game.* In order to spend that kind of money on something, you have to really want it. What we spend our money on reveals where our values lie. What does how you spend your money say about your priorities? An interesting “devotional” exercise would be to read your credit card statement. A record of your purchases will help you to see what you consider to be truly important. Compare what you read in your credit card statement with your history of giving to support the work of sharing the gospel. What you find will speak clearly to you about what you value most. Investing in reaching souls with the everlasting gospel brings a greater return on investment than investing in gold, property, or the stock market.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed the phenomenon of people spending their money on that which one day is going to wear away. He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

The man who built the Taj Mahal did so out of love for his deceased wife. Expensive cars are bought by car lovers, not car haters.

People ordinarily take vacations in places they like to be. Someone who spends a fortune on a team jersey or a baseball card is a fanatic.

(The word fan is short for fanatic.) If you are enthusiastic about faith in Christ, your spending will show it. Your offerings will reflect it.

Your discretionary spending will reflect it.

Your receipts should confirm that your heart is with Jesus.

Your money follows what you personally value. Do your spending habits testify that you value Jesus?