Priceless
September 24, 2010 • By Ed Wrather
09.24.10
How precious (priceless - NIV) is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. - Psalm 36:7-8.
The Sanchez family of Las Cruces, New Mexico is having a very public disagreement over their family finances. It was not so public until, Regina attacked her husband during an argument over recent expenses and the amount he had paid for her wedding ring. Regina punched and scratched her husband with the wounds visible enough that she was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. Mr. Sanchez was in trouble with his wife because Regina believes he is not making enough money, spent $1300 on a vet bill for their dog's broken leg, and had no gas in the car. In addition, Regina found out that her husband had only paid $200 for the wedding ring she has compared to the $3200 he paid for his first wife's ring.
Some things are priceless, or at least they should be, like the cost of wedding rings. The first wedding rings that Jeanie and I wore cost less than $130 and the ones we wear now cost less than $1000. Somehow money paid for a ring has become the equivalent of saying how much you love or do not love your wife. Some things, as in the love a husband and a wife have for each other, should be considered priceless.
For the average couple beginning their married life today it would be better to pay $200 for rings, and if they have $3000 more, to use that to establish their household and for unexpected expenses that will be sure to come. I feel the same way about exorbitantly expensive weddings. For most couples the money used for a huge wedding would be better used to secure the future of the family. Jeanie and I were married in her parent's home with a few family members present, and if we had it to do again we would definitely do the same thing. Our love for each other is not defined by the price of our wedding rings or the size of our wedding. If you feel that your love for your husband-to-be or wife-to-be is defined by those things; you should take time to think seriously about whether you are making a lifetime commitment, or if you are really just in it for the money.
God's love is and should be considered not only precious but priceless. Much as some place a monetary value on things like human love they sometimes do the same with the love of God. If God doesn't give them the great job that they believe they should have then they are angry with Him. If God doesn't provide the wonderful house that they believe they should be living in then God must not be real and on and on. As with human relationships if that is how we see God as only one who can provide material things for us then we need to examine our relationship with Him. Is there a relationship? If it is only based upon those kinds of things it is unlikely.
Whether it is the love of a husband and a wife, or the love of a believer for His God, that love should be priceless. As the Psalmist says we should be "satisfied" with that love. Knowing that we have the love of our husband or our wife should be enough for us to be satisfied in our relationship with them. Knowing that our God loves us should be enough too for us to be "satisfied" in our relationship with Him.
Visitor Comments (0)