A MAN'S TRUE WORTH
During the presidency of General U. S. Grant, a visiting dignitary from China asked famous
people whom he met while touring America, “What are you worth?” The visitor from China was
one of the wealthiest men in his country and he thought he was paying a compliment to people by
asking about their financial standing. However, the day has long been past when intelligent peo-
ple judge a person’s worth on their basis of their bank account. We have all heard the saying,
“You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Neither can you judge a man’s worth by his pocketbook!
I am also told that at the outbreak of the American Civil War, the North tried vainly to enlist
the services of Robert E. Lee. General Scott maintained that Lee was worth fifty-thousand men in
battle. How many of us are as valuable as such a large number of people? General Lee’s value
was not in his financial clout, but in his strategic abilities and expertise in the art of warfare. Did
Robert E. Lee fight for the South? Yes, He did. And didn’t the South lose the Civil War? Yes,
they did. But I have heard some historians suggest that the South would have lost a lot sooner, if
Robert E. Lee had been on the side of the North.
All of this has been written to make a point: Who we are and what we believe are more im-
portant considerations than dollars and cents in determining value. It is possible to be financially
prosperous and morally bankrupt (people like Bernie Madoff come to mind--the man who ripped
off millions [billions?] from unsuspecting investors in his now infamous ponzi scheme). Such an
individual is not worth very much. In Luke 12:15 Jesus taught “a man’s life consisteth not in
the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Are you ready to grasp the true sources of enrichment? True values in life are the things
worth living and dying for. Any person without these things will not make much difference in the
world’s welfare. We sometimes sing a song in worship that says, “This world is not my home,
I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” Do you have
treasures in that realm? If you do, you are truly wealthy and are a person of true worth.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: A brat is one who acts just like your children do--but they belong
to someone else!
Love ya,
Jesse
people whom he met while touring America, “What are you worth?” The visitor from China was
one of the wealthiest men in his country and he thought he was paying a compliment to people by
asking about their financial standing. However, the day has long been past when intelligent peo-
ple judge a person’s worth on their basis of their bank account. We have all heard the saying,
“You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Neither can you judge a man’s worth by his pocketbook!
I am also told that at the outbreak of the American Civil War, the North tried vainly to enlist
the services of Robert E. Lee. General Scott maintained that Lee was worth fifty-thousand men in
battle. How many of us are as valuable as such a large number of people? General Lee’s value
was not in his financial clout, but in his strategic abilities and expertise in the art of warfare. Did
Robert E. Lee fight for the South? Yes, He did. And didn’t the South lose the Civil War? Yes,
they did. But I have heard some historians suggest that the South would have lost a lot sooner, if
Robert E. Lee had been on the side of the North.
All of this has been written to make a point: Who we are and what we believe are more im-
portant considerations than dollars and cents in determining value. It is possible to be financially
prosperous and morally bankrupt (people like Bernie Madoff come to mind--the man who ripped
off millions [billions?] from unsuspecting investors in his now infamous ponzi scheme). Such an
individual is not worth very much. In Luke 12:15 Jesus taught “a man’s life consisteth not in
the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Are you ready to grasp the true sources of enrichment? True values in life are the things
worth living and dying for. Any person without these things will not make much difference in the
world’s welfare. We sometimes sing a song in worship that says, “This world is not my home,
I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” Do you have
treasures in that realm? If you do, you are truly wealthy and are a person of true worth.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: A brat is one who acts just like your children do--but they belong
to someone else!
Love ya,
Jesse
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