Trading What Matters

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their soul?" – Mark 8:36

Have you ever traded something valuable for something cheap because, at the time, you just didn’t know better?

As a child, I traded a Mickey Mouse watch for a toy car. The watch had far greater value, but I gave it away for something far less valuable, because the truth was, I didn’t know how to tell time.

The value was real. It just wasn’t understood. That story might sound simple, maybe even silly, but it’s not all that different from what many of us do every day. God has given you something priceless in Jesus. A relationship with Him. Access to grace, purpose, peace, forgiveness, and eternal life.

And yet so often, we trade what’s eternal for what’s cheap and temporary. We exchange our walk with Jesus for popularity, attention, validation, status, money, relationships, or comfort. And we think we’re gaining something because we can see it or feel it in the moment.

But the only reason we make that trade is because, spiritually, we still don’t know how to tell time. We don’t realize what’s truly valuable. The watch still works. The value is still there. But if you don’t know how to recognize it, you’ll sell out every time.

Mark 8:36 asks it plain and clear. What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul? No amount of likes or deals or dollars will ever be worth what you have in Jesus. But if you don’t really understand the worth of what you’re carrying, you’ll keep chasing the things that shine for a moment and rust just as fast.

It’s time to stop trading what’s eternal for what won’t last. Don’t let the world convince you that a matchbox car is worth more than what Jesus placed in your hands. Your faith, your calling, your soul, and your walk with God carry a value this world will never be able to match. Jesus is still worth more. The question is, do you see it now?