Ryan's Ramblings

Worth It

"Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NLT)

Have you ever wandered through a yard sale and felt that quiet tension between buyer and seller? The seller lays out their timeworn pieces, each priced high, carrying not just a dollar amount, but history and an emotional attachment. Every item has a story—a reminder of its usefulness and the memory of its original cost.

The buyer doesn’t see or appreciate any of that. They’re only looking for a deal. When they make a lowball offer, it stings. The seller rejects it outright. And the buyer just shrugs, turns away, and says, "It’s not worth it."

Worth it.

It’s more than just a phrase—it's the filter we use to measure almost everything in life. What’s worth your time, your money, your energy? What's worth…you?

The worth of anything is measured by what someone is willing to give in exchange for it. Did you know that in God’s economy, your soul—your very self—is of inestimable worth? So valuable, in fact, that He gave the life of His one and only Son in exchange for you.

But here’s the twist: in the marketplace of life, we are the ones who decide what our soul is worth. We choose what we’re willing to trade it for—approval, status, pleasure, influence, security, success, control. The world doesn’t value people the way God does. It has its own ideas of worth, constantly pressuring us to sell out for the next shiny thing. Society measures value by usefulness, beauty, and influence—but God looks at the heart.

Scripture warns us not to fall for the Esau syndrome—trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite (Hebrews 12:16–17, MSG). Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. He walked away with a full stomach—but an empty soul.

Your soul is not a discount item. It’s not something to trade for fleeting pleasures or worldly applause. You are the apple of God's eye—His beloved, fearfully and wonderfully made. And while the enemy is happy for you to sell your soul—whether for millions or for a moment—God calls you to hold out for the higher price, the one that reflects your true, immeasurable worth.

King David once asked, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them?" (Psalm 8:4, NLT). Centuries later, the Apostle Paul gave the answer: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8, NLT). That’s your value.

So be vigilant. Guard your eyes, your ears, your heart, and your mind. Every moment of every day, you’re deciding what your soul is worth. Don’t let the world write that price tag—because Jesus already did.

And He says, “You’re worth it.”