The Value of His Name
Peyton Johnston
July 9th, 2017
In 2006, a woman nearing the end of her career as a nurse set out to start her dream business of owning a restaurant. This, of course, would require some serious funds – funds that she did not have. But the woman remembered a gift that one of her patients had so lovingly presented to her several years before. It was an exclusive baseball bat autographed by the infamous Babe Ruth. She had kept it because of its sentimental value, but decided she was willing to part with it if it meant being able to contribute to her savings.
She suspected it was worth some money, but never expected to auction it off for over 1.3 million dollars! But the woman showed great humility when she took only enough money to be able to open her own restaurant – the rest she gave to the children’s charity that had been started by Babe Ruth. When asked why, she said:
“The bat was valuable only because Babe Ruth’s name was on it. Since he made it valuable, the only reasonable thing I could do was something that would honor his life.”
On our own, we are of little worth. We are humans born into sin; flawed and lost. But through baptism in the name of Jesus, we take on the identity of the most matchless and priceless God (Galatians 3:27). We are found, made whole, and given the highest honor because He has written His name on us! The value of every part of our life only holds that worth because of the name that was imprinted on us by the King of Kings. Every talent and ability is a God-given gift that should be used for glorifying the unrivaled name of Jesus. Since He is the only thing that brings us true value, the only reasonable thing we can do with our lives is something that honors Him.
Pray: “Thank you for giving me Your name, Jesus. Thank you for looking at me with eyes of love and deeming me worthy to take on Your precious, sacred identity. I don’t want to ever take that lightly or forget that it is You that has blessed me with every good and valuable thing in my life. I want to always use my life as a way to glorify You and nothing else.”