“Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. Godliness--godlikeness--is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth. {Ed 18.3}”
Our Real Value
A little boy went to his old grandpa and asked, "What's the value of life?"
The grandpa gave him one stone and said, "Find out the value of this stone, but don't sell it." The boy took the stone to an Orange Seller and asked him what its cost would be. The Orange Seller saw the shiny stone and said, "You can take 12 oranges and give me the stone. "The boy apologized and said that the grandpa has asked him not to sell it. He went ahead and found a vegetable seller. "What could be the value of this stone?" he asked the vegetable seller. The seller saw the shiny stone and said, "Take one sack of potatoes and give me the stone."
The boy again apologized and said he couldn't sell it. Further ahead, he went into a jewelry shop and asked the value of the stone. The jeweler saw the stone under a lens and said, "I'll give you 50 million for this stone." When the boy shook his head, the jeweler said, "Alright,alright, take 2 gold necklace, but give me the stone."
The boy explained that he couldn't sell the stone.
Further ahead, the boy saw a precious stone's shop and asked the seller the value of this stone.When the precious stone's seller saw the big ruby, he lay 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 won't be able to purchase this priceless stone. Stunned and confused, the boy returned to the grandpa and told him what had happened. "Now tell me what is the value of life, grandpa?"
Grandpa said, "The answers you got from the Orange Seller, the Vegetable Seller, the Jeweler & the Precious Stone's Seller explain the value of our life... You may be a precious stone, even priceless, but people will value you based on their financial status, their level of information, 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.”
Respect yourself.
You are Unique.
No one can Replace you.
Just go to the right person and ask Him who made you and he will tell you your actual values. Do not waste your time with Vegetable Sellers and Orange Sellers. God knows your actual value because he created you.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36