There is a story of a man who one day went and asked God, “What is the value of our life?”
God gave him one stone and said, “Find out the value of this stone, but don’t sell it.”
The man took the stone to an orange seller and asked him what the value of this stone was?
The orange seller saw the shiny stone and said, “You can take 12 oranges and give me the stone.”
The man apologised and said that God had asked him not to sell it.
He went ahead and found a vegetable seller and asked, “What could be the value of this stone?”. The seller saw the shiny stone and said, “Take one sack of potatoes and give me the stone.”
The man again apologised and said he couldn’t sell it.
Further ahead he went into a jewellery shop and asked the value of the stone.
The jeweller saw the stone under a lens and said, “I will give you $5,000,000 for the stone.” When the man shook his head, the jeweller said, “Alright, alright, take $100 million, but give me the stone.”
The man explained he couldn’t sell the stone. Further ahead the man saw a precious stones shop and asked the seller the value of this stone.
When the precious stone seller saw the stone - a big ruby - he laid down a red cloth and put the ruby on it. Then he walked in circles around the ruby and bent down and touched his head in front of the ruby.
“From where did you bring this priceless ruby from?” he asked. “Even if I sell the whole world, and my life, I still won’t be able to purchase this priceless stone.”
Stunned and confused, the man returned to God and told him what had happened. “Now tell me what is the true value of life, God?” he said.
God said, “The answers you got from the orange seller, the vegetable seller, the jeweller and the precious stone seller explains the value of our life. You may be a precious stone, even priceless, but people may value you based on their level of information, their belief in you, their motive behind entertaining you, their ambition, and their risk taking ability. But don’t fear, you will surely find someone who will discern your true value.”
In the eyes of God, you are very, very precious. Respect yourself. You are unique. No one can ever replace you.
So as we journey into Easter, always remember how precious we ALL are, in the eyes of God.
I remember Pope Francis last year in his third apostolic exaltation said, “We do not have a mission - we are a mission.”
So don’t be afraid to speak out boldly to all people - whether they are Christians or not - that Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, died and rose from the dead for our Salvation because God alone knows the true value of our LIVES!