Do You Have Any Value
Jeremiah 41:8
"But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren."
The story in the verse above is about the captivity of Israel. Ishmael came upon a group of people who tried to flee from the destruction of their country. When he caught them, he slew them. But, there were ten men in this group of people who wisely told him that they had treasures that could benefit him. They asked for his mercy because of their treasures in the field.
It is interesting that the thing that allowed these men to stay alive was that they made sure they had value to Ishmael. Apparently, the other people in this group did not prepare for this day. They apparently thought that everything would always go fine. Yet, these ten men took the time and energy to make sure they had treasures saved up for a rainy day. It was their value that salvaged their lives and the future of their families.
When I think of this, I cannot but help to think about how many people have never invested in their relationships for a rainy day. I am not talking about putting money aside, I am talking about investing in your relationships so that there is value to keep it together when hardships come. Too many people have no treasures to fight for to keep their relationships going through the hard times. If you want every relationship in your life to last, then you need to be sure to add value to that relationship.
I have found that the best way to make relationships valuable is through time. There is no substitute for time. If a marriage is going to work, then you are going to have to spend time together. Many people spend more time with their friends than their spouses, and then they wonder why there is no value in their marriage relationship to motivate them to keep it together. You should have too many memories to give up on your marriage. Be sure to spend more time with your spouse so that you can add value to your marriage.
Likewise, parents need to spend time with their children if they want that relationship to be valuable later in life. When you think of the good memories you have with your parents, most of them are not about what your parents spent on you, but they are about time that you spent with your parents. The value of your relationship with your children will be determined by how much time you spent with them; time working around the house, time serving the LORD, time having family devotions, time doing activities together. Invest enough time in your relationship with your children that they consider their relationship with you more valuable than a relationship with anyone else.
Moreover, if leaders want their followers to stick with them, then leaders need to spend time with their followers. I have watched many preachers hibernate in their office instead of spending time with their people. This is not how you win their hearts over to you. Whether you are a pastor, Sunday school teacher, bus worker or leader in society, those you lead need you to spend time with them. That is what adds value to that relationship.
The most valuable commodity is time. There will come a time in every relationship when the only thing that will keep it together is the value you added to it in the past. Let me ask you, how much are your relationships worth? Every day you need to add value to each relationship by spending time with the people in them. If you will invest your time in relationships, then you will reap great benefits in the end.