Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”

Did you know that you have the ability to increase or decrease the value of something? Not the intrinsic value of the thing, but the value of it in your eyes. Diamonds have a very high value and people pay a lot of money for them, because they realize the value of it. Pearls are the same way. People have the highest values of anything created, and God, He is the definition of value, there is nothing in heaven or on earth that has more value than God Himself. Yet, as people we have the ability to increase or decrease the value of something in our own eyes.

I was in church yesterday, worshipping with all of my heart, sensing the presence of God, enjoying Him and hearing His voice, it was so powerful for me. Then right in front of me was a man talking to His wife, not singing, from an external perspective, totally not engaged at all. There I was one row behind Him increasing the value of God in my eyes through worship and he was not seeing value in Him at all. How does that work, how can two different people, have two completely different experiences, yet they are in the same setting? It is because we have been given the ability to increase or decrease value in our own eyes. For me the presence of God is the most valuable thing in my life, and for this other man, he did not have the same value system.

Everyday, we are increasing the value of something in our eyes or decreasing it. Relationships are a great example of this. Whether living under the same roof, or living in another country, we choose to increase the value of people or decrease their value. For me, my husband lives in Malaysia and my son and I live in the US, but daily my son and I increase the value of our daddy in our eyes, but talking about him highly. Then d street there is a family that is going through a divorce and we listen to one partner talk about the other partner, and daily they are decreasing the value of that person in their own eyes.

It is an incredible power we have been given as it pertains to value. When we value something, we treat it with respect, we make sacrifices for it, we speak highly of it and we look forward to being near it. How much do you value your family? Your friends? Your possessions? Your God?

Last night I spoke to someone on Facebook and they told me how the worship leader in their church increased the value of God in the service, but how the people did not do the same. She was obviously frustrated and troubled by this, but realized she has no control over the value people place on worship. It is a very challenging job to teach people how to increase the value of something that already is of such a high value. Part of us believes they should understand the value of it and treat it accordingly, but churches all over the world have people singing songs, but not increasing the value of the One to whom they are singing.

We cannot control what anyone else does, but we can control what we do. I choose to value the kingdom of God, the presence of God and the people of God. I will continue to increase my value of these things in worship, prayer, words of encouragement and any other way I can. I have met the Creator of all things and so it is an honor to be able to increase His value in my eyes daily. What about you? Have you seen how valuable He really is, for without a revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18).

My prayer is that we as people that claim the name of Jesus, would increase the value of Him in our lives, starting today.