Evidently there are more bargains to be had than those we customarily think of in this gift-giving time of year. In the past week, such high-profile sales have included a governor, preacher or church, celebrities, and others who have dealt their very selves as though they were commodities, on the auction block of materialism and self-gain.
When we look back on what was received in return - possible paid directorships, money, notoriety and publicity, faded memorabilia, or even revenge - it appears that the sellers sold themselves far too cheaply for some fleeting, fragile, and perishing prizes. How much is your honor worth? What value is integrity, character, or one's essential being? That is all that we have at last - when we exit this world and others look upon us a final time. There is another economy, the nature and significance of which, is comprehended by a few who understand that we:
Gain by losing and lose by winning
Save our lives by giving them up and lose our lives by trying to save them
Develop ourselves by denying ourselves
Make a living by what we get, but make a life by what we give!
There's nothing wrong with being successful. There is nothing wrong with money. There is nothing wrong with power. The question is - is it connected to something bigger than you? Is it connected to what God wants you to do? Is it connected to the prayer, not the petition you ask God for? Not the "let's make a deal" prayer but the prayer that is, "Let thy will be done."
Cornel West
What good does it provide to a man if he gains the whole world but parts with his life? What can a man give to buy back his life?
Matthew 16:26
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