Worth

If you look up “worth” in a dictionary you will find descriptive alternatives such as, value, significance, importance and meaning, all of which make sense to me. However I found one definition a little puzzling, “appeal”. On the surface “appeal” as worth seems somewhat incongruous unless you consider the monetary drawing power of some people and things. Some people and things generate worth because of appeal or popularity and not necessarily because they have inherent value based on functionality.

For example wedding rings have value or worth because they are designed as a personal and public symbol of the priceless commitment of marriage and fidelity. As such the materials that make up the ring have little utilitarian significance apart from the symbolic worth of the ring. So why is it that in our culture it seems as if people place more significance or worth on the appeal or the cost and appearance of the ring than on the inherent symbolic value that it represents? Why do so many people go into marriage willing to mortgage their financial futures and get carried away with the size and cost of rings only to casually discard their marriages shortly thereafter? One would think the greater investment would be made in and attention paid to that which is truly important rather than in that which can be cast off or lost so easily. So what is the actual worth of a wedding ring and do carets and cash determine it?

Another thing I was musing about was the functional or industrial worth of a person in society. How much is a person worth? I am not talking about the priceless value of a human life, a person created in the image of God; I am referring to how the image bears that image and lives out the gifts and abilities within the opportunities that God has given to us. What are we worth in terms of our equitable contribution great or small?

Bear in mind that some people because of severe disabilities are precluded from substantial or any seeming contribution, but that in no way limits their inherent human value, only their industrial contribution, which for many is a weighty cross to bear and not an enviable position to be in. However the majority of people can do something and many can do many things but I sometimes wonder if we exercise our opportunities to the best of our abilities? If people were paid what they were worth relative to what they are capable of contributing how many would take a pay cut?

I was reading in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 where Paul talks about going into strict training, exercising self discipline so as to win the prize of life, which we infer is to realize our full potential as image bearers of God. How many of us actually do that? How many of us are worth in action what God deems we are in potential? How many of us want and expect full credit but only give half effort or less?

As an example, when questioned, Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love one another as ourselves. In fact he said if we do that, then we will end up fulfilling all the law and the prophets. Pretty simple and pretty plain and pretty straightforward, right? We are to be people of integrity and serve Him and worship Him with all that we are and all that we have. The Bible also challenges us to do everything to the best of our ability as if we were living and working for God. But what does it mean to Christians today as we observe most of them in action?

Amazingly, and this is hard to believe, 75% of Canadians say they believe in God, who is the master and creator of the universe. One would think that with that percentage our churches would be bursting at the seams, poverty would be unheard of, civic leaders would be men and women of utmost integrity, crime would be negligible and overall industrial productivity would be the best in the world. After all doesn’t someone who loves God and loves people with all that they are and all that they have always live and give their best? Looking at our country how would we estimate the worth of our professed faith in terms of life application?

Let’s look at a smaller sample of people and put the spotlight on only the 20% of Canadians who say they are “members” of churches and attend church services regularly. Someone was skeptical of that claim and did some personal research only to discover that only 10% actually attend regularly and not all are officially members. To be fair maybe some people have an odd understanding of membership and regularity and think that Christmas and Easter, weddings and funerals qualify. In that case I wonder what they would consider regular in terms of eating? Never the less I find it hard to believe that nearly 50% of professing church people, who claim to believe in and love God would actually lie. The statistics for serving and giving relative to biblical prescription is even more alarming. What is their profession of faith actually worth in terms of how they are living out what they say they believe? Are we really living and giving our best?

Do we love God to the same degree that He loves us? Is my return of love to God relative to His investment of love in me worthy to be called worship or “worth-ship”? Am I and are we, in Paul’s terms, training ourselves to win the prize to which God has called us?

Are we who call ourselves Christians or followers of Christ worth in action what God has created us to be in potential in both the marketplace and the meeting place?