When I was a kid, I thought a dollar was a fortune! A dollar was a trip to the vending machine, it was a hot wheel car, it was a full bag of penny candy at the corner store! In my limited understanding, a dollar really was a ton of money and I’d do just about anything to get my hands on a cold, crisp bill. It wasn’t just the piece of paper, it was what I knew I could “exchange” for that piece of paper that brought it value.

There is a common misconception in Christianity; that our walk with the Lord comes for free. Yes, the blood of Jesus is a free gift to receive but the act of truly committing our lives to honor God requires just that; our lives. It may seem like a steep price upfront, but what we receive in return is far greater.

Philippians 3:8 says, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.” The word is clear. If we “value” Jesus, a sacrifice of ourselves will naturally follow because of the “surpassing worth” of what we receive in exchange.

David understood this concept even in the midst of chaos. His selfish actions have led him to massive consequences as we find him in 1 Chronicles 21. David is preparing to make an offering but in order for this to truly attribute value to God, David insists on paying for the offering. He is showing “worth” to God by exchanging value.

We must understand as we walk with Christ, the price we are willing to pay will be directly related to how much “worth” we see in Jesus. When Jesus is worth everything, it’s no longer too much of an inconvenience to wake up early to meet with Him, it’s no longer too embarrassing to lift my hands to Him in worship, it’s no longer too awkward to bring him up in conversation. These all become a small price in comparison to what I know I receive in return; absolutely everything.