Monday Morning Devotion-February 17, 2020
Value Every Possession
°He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
I've been watching a lot of basketball recently because both of the teams at my
School have been very successful. Both the Men and Women's teams at Florida State
University have won over 20 games each with a significant part of the season and post season
remaining to be played.
Each game seems to top the previous one with down-to-the-wire finishes. One thing that Coaches Leonard Hamilton and Sue Semrau drill into their players heads is the importance of valuing every possession of that basketball. You never can tell when one misplay, whether it occurs from lack of hustle or concentration or not anticipating a move, getting called for a violation, or whatever can turn the game around. When the momentum switches sides it can be hard to get back and may precipitate a loss.
While searching for an idea for this week's promotion I came across this one from seven years ago that provides food for thought in our daily lives:
A story is told of a man who loved old books. He met an acquaintance who had just thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. "I couldn't read it," the friend explained. "Somebody named Guten-something had printed it." "Not Gutenberg!" the book lover exclaimed in horror. "That Bible was one of the first books ever printed. Why, a copy just sold for over two million dollars!" His friend was unimpressed. "Mine wouldn't have brought a dollar. Some fellow named Martin Luther had scribbled all over it in German."
That man had a possession which to him seemed to be of little value. Shows that we can sometimes be fooled by the looks of a thing, the feel of something, or the way an experience or a relationship is playing out.
For some reason the Lord led me to this devotion title. While he gave me a subject He didn't send along a scripture with it. Apparently, He wanted me to do some scripture searching so I did. I spent time reading in James, 1st Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Peter and Psalms.
I even Googled ° "Value Every Possession." What I got there was an inordinate number of basketball articles. Seems that the importance of valuing every possession of the basketball is stressed over and over ad nauseum by coaches.
Even found a poem on it in which a player made a mistake°a turnover or a poor defensive play that enabled the other team to get a basket early in the game. He couldn't figure out why the coach was so livid because there was still a lot of basketball to be played. Of course, at the end when his team lost by two points the reality of the phrase sunk in.
In life we are also wise to value every possession. I'm not just talking about material things. We should value those because the Lord has enabled us to have them. But, sometimes we put a greater value on goods and products than we should. After all they are only disposable material goods. They are not lasting in importance because something better is probably going to come along°sooner rather than later.
The dictionary definition of value is "relative worth, merit, or importance." This could be monetary or not. It could be estimated or established. It could be the equivalent of or the real thing.
If we look at "possession" we find it is anything that is owned or possessed. When we take control of something we possess it. Maybe it is just the possession of a good attitude or could be a great idea or a positive action we take.
So, the value°the actual worth of the things we take possession of goes far beyond dollars and cents and surpasses "things."
Someone once said, "We know the cost of everything and the value of nothing." That is partially true. It is easier to place a monetary value on something than it is to ascertain a subjective value. Most often those subjective values run deeper and are more lasting.
The Apostle Paul in writing to the Christians in Corinth stressed the importance of "valuing each other." He had helped establish a dynamic church with a solid foundation, but worldly concerns were trying to eat away at their strength.
That's still the case, sometimes in our churches today. Instead of valuing each other as fellow believers we made be at odds on small or petty concerns. It is important, if we are to effectively grow the kingdom that we value each other and what each person contributes to the church as a whole. No two people will agree on everything all the time.
Valuing friendship is very important. Letting people know what they mean to you. Simply telling your wife or husband that you love them means a lot. Sure, last week we celebrated Valentine's Day. So, it was a natural thing to express your love. You might even have been able to verbalize those three little words that mean so much: I Love You!
It is good to do that often. Okay so we know this. Okay so our actions speak louder than words. You might be surprised how loud those three words can be even when whispered
As Paul reminded the Church at Philippi that God had started a good work in them and that it was a possession to be highly valued. This church was the first one Paul had planted on European soil. It was in a Roman colony and therefore was a highly valued possession when it came to spreading the Gospel message.
We are God's possession and are highly valued by the Creator. In Matthew, he tells us how much more important we are to Him than the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.
Valuing the opportunity, we have each day to go to the Creator of the Universe in prayer is huge. We take this possession for granted too often. It's a powerful tool we have been given especially when our prayer for wisdom is answered.
We can readily see how important communication is between two people. Problems can occur when folks don't communicate. Wrong assumptions can be made. Misunderstandings crop up. You know, in your own mind, what you were thinking but maybe you didn't accurately communicate that. Then there can be trouble in River City.
Being thankful and saying so is one of the keys to valuing every possession. When something pleases you give thanks. Just say "Thank You." That's even easier to say than "I Love You" because it's only two words as opposed to three. :)
Just like the basketball player, the ball is on your court every day. It is up to you to value each possession and make everyday count for something good.
Monday Prayer: Lord help us to value every possession and to give thanks to You for each opportunity. Amen!