November 12, 2014 (Wednesday)
“The Price Is Right” is a long-running television show. Contestants bid on an item. If their bid is more than the item’s worth, they lose. Whoever bids closest to the value, wins.
The point of the game is to reveal how skilled a person is at estimating true value.
Jesus warned us about judging others, and when he said “don’t judge,” his hearers understood that He meant, “Don’t be hypercritical of others.” When He said, “You shall know them by their fruit,” He was encouraging us to evaluate the actions of others, especially those who are leaders. “Discernment of spirits” is a spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:10).
Jesus loved Peter. He commended him at times and at other times he rebuked him. In other words, not all the actions of Peter were of equal value. But Peter Himself, the man, was of inestimable value as one who was the object of the love of Almighty God, whose Son demonstrated that love by becoming a man and sacrificing Himself to save humankind.
So it is with every person you know. When the Scripture says, “God loved the world” (John 3:16), it means God loves each and every person in this world. That makes every person you meet a person of tremendous value. God says so.
But what about the actions of that person? Sometimes we consider his/her deeds to be practically worthless, and at other times of great value. The same is true of ourselves.
Let us be discerning in our relationships. A common mistake is to overvalue a person’s deeds and to make him/her an unwilling hero. Equally mistaken is the tendency to undervalue the actions of some, and with it our opinion of the person. Let us be loving and kind, and also realistic as we relate to others day after day. True value is all around us.
And let us never forsake our belief in the intrinsic worth of every person on this earth.