Our Value By Association

An American tourist in Paris, who purchased an inexpensive amber necklace in a trinket shop, was shocked when he had to pay quite a high duty on it to clear customs in New York. This aroused his curiosity, so he had it appraised. After looking at the object under a powerful magnifying glass, the jeweler said, “I’ll give you $25,000 for it.” Greatly surprised, the man decided to have another expert jeweler examine it. When he did, he was offered $10,000 more.

Curiosity got the best of the man, so he asked, “What do you see that’s so valuable about this old necklace?”

“Look through this glass,” replied the jeweler. There before his eyes was an inscription: “From Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine.” The value of the necklace came from its identification with a famous person.

As Christians, we can identify with a Person far more important than the most famous human being in history (cf. 1 Timothy 6:13-15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). It is from this union that the Christian finds his true identity and worth.

In an age when people are busy acquiring the wealth of this world, the Christian can rejoice that his true worth comes from God (John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:9) and his identity is found in Jesus Christ (Galations 2:20; cf. Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:2-3).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets