A few weeks ago I ran across the hospital bill for my birth - $60.25! That included a delivery fee of $10, $4.50 for Care of Baby, and Room and Board (for three days) of $38.50.
Granted, that was a few years ago, but I like to think I'm worth more than my parents paid for my birth. But how much is a person worth? How would you even begin calculating it? As much as they earn in a lifetime? How much insurance they will receive at death? The resale value of their component parts? The economic, humanitarian or cultural contribution they make to society? The family heritage they pass on? A basic principle of economics is that something is worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. So how much are you worth? Jesus said: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NLT) Think about that. There are some people I would be willing to give my life for - admittedly the list is pretty small. But if you ask me how many people I would give the life of one of my children for, I'm not sure there would be a list at all.
The infinite God of the universe gave his One and Only Son so that you and I could have eternal life. That's how much you are worth.
Mike Mawhorter can be reached at [email protected].
