Value or Price
By Pastor Gabriel Vargas www.misioncasa.org
Antonio Machado, Spanish poet and playwright, wrote a very interesting phrase: “Every fool mistakes value with price.” I think that in my own life, and for many years, I crossed that line so many times that after a while, I could not tell the difference between the two. Looking back and pausing on the road, I was able to reach the conclusion that the most clear answer to the failed tries in my personal life, as well as the commercial one, was precisely to focus on the opposite side of the scale or like Andres Panasiuk would say in his book “How to reach the end of the month,” I had reclined the success ladder on the wrong wall: on the wall of price and not on the wall of value.
And what is the difference? Basically, concentrating all your efforts on something that produces a momentary satisfaction and not one that truly lasts because it has value and purpose. I dedicated many years of my life to work arduously to purchase a home, but I lost the best moments of my home life. Arriving home on time to enjoy dinner with my wife, speaking to my children, having time to converse with God, watching the sunset in a reclining chair without feeling guilty for losing business, money or opportunities.
With money you can buy a pretty house, but not a home. I am thankful to God because He opened my eyes to enable me to see that the word love is spelled “T.I.M.E.,” a lot of time together with your loved ones: such time creating memories in their minds. To accomplish this, there is only one road: invest your time with each of them.
The Bible tells a story about a man that focused his life on the price wall, and not on the value wall. Lucas 12:18-20 “I shall destroy my silos and build much larger ones, and there I will save my fruits and goods;” and I will tell my soul: “Soul, you have kept enough goods for many years; rest, eat, drink, rejoice.” But God would say, “Fool, tonight they are coming to take your soul and your belongings, who will possess that?” The true success wall is such that you can lose your house, but not your home; lose your bed, but not your dreams, lose favors, but not your friends. Stop accumulating money; but enjoy your children’s love, your family’s, God’s. Think about it, “There is no one poorer than the one that has only money.” The success wall is living each day, together, without losing the beautiful moments in life.
- Other Gabriel Vargas articles:
- Unequally yoked
- 12 Stumbling Blocks to the Gospel for this Generation
- Churches
- Baptist Hospital
- Value or Price
