From The Pew, Letter Four
How Much is One Life Worth to You?
One Friday afternoon on the way home from work, I received a call from an old friend asking if I'd be interested in buying Billy Graham's original home. After a brief moment of awe, thinking about Billy's house and imagining what stories its walls could tell, I immediately responded, “Thank you for thinking of me, but I’ll have to decline." Acquiring another house was not something I felt the need to do. It would mean another yard to mow, house to paint, and so on. A year earlier, we had sold a house in the mountains due to the continued challenges of maintaining the home. We didn’t own the house; it owned us.
However, my friend's call left me with a thought—imagine the ministry that could be done through this sacred place! The next morning, around 4 am on Saturday, I was aroused with a lingering thought: "How much is one life worth to you?" Tired and unsure if the Lord had placed this thought in my mind, I went back to bed, seeking a little more rest after a busy week.
In a strange dream-like state of semi-sleep, I had a vision. I arrived in heaven, passing through the pearly gates, elated that by God's grace, I made it. As joy filled my soul, a man walked up to me, hugged me, and said, "Brother, we are so glad you're here, but I'm sorry for the one who didn't make it." Confused, I asked, "Who didn't make it? What do you mean?" Not fully understanding what my new friend was referring to, I requested an explanation. He reminded me of the time I was asked to buy the Billy Graham house. "Of course," I quickly responded. “My wife and I opted not to purchase. We didn’t need any more responsibilities or things to manage in our life.” Putting his hand on my shoulder, he cut me off and said, "The Lord had chosen one person to be saved there." Concerned, I asked, "Where is that person?" With his head down, he replied, "He's not here." I woke up in a sweat, asking the Lord, "What are you doing? Why did you put this thought in my head? What is one life worth to you?"
Fully awake and challenged by this, I went to our family room; wrestling with these thoughts, I opened my Bible. After only a couple of minutes, I found myself reading 1 Peter 4:10. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” The question of what one life is worth still lingered in my mind like an unwanted bee sting that couldn't be removed! God has blessed me abundantly, but how can I compare any of that to the price He paid for me? God loved me so much that He was willing to send His most valued possession, His only Son to die for my sins. Knowing this, I felt God was calling me to step up and write a check.
As I contemplated this thought, it struck me. God has never asked me to make a sacrifice without providing the means to do so. Just like with my tithe, He has consistently blessed me with the necessary resources first, and then asked me to trust Him by giving a portion back. It has never been the other way around. He desires my participation in Kingdom work, and in His generosity, He has given me the means to contribute. Although He could have easily taken care of it Himself, He wanted me to do it!
The problem arises when we start to believe that we actually own these resources. When we arrive in Glory, the only things that will remain on Earth are what we accumulated here. It’s just stuff. If you’re like me and many people that I know, that very stuff actually owns us, we don’t own it.
When I get to Heaven, I won’t have a garage to organize or cars to clean. I will have the people I introduced to Christ. My stuff, no matter how nice it may seem on Earth, will NOT be waiting for me when I arrive in Heaven. Any kingdom that I sought to build on earth will be left with my coffin. Solomon puts it this way - we are building kingdoms on Earth that someone else will enjoy (Ecclesiastes 2:18).
As I pondered these things, I was left with the question –– “If God is the Provider of all things, then why did He give me access to His ‘cattle’ to share with others?” Because God is a good and loving God. He saved me so I would spend eternity with Him, but His love and care for me goes one step further. He desires for me to share in the rewards of helping His sheep. My Heavenly Father is a good Father and my possessions will soon be a distant memory. My reward and true treasure will be awaiting me in Heaven!
So, as I wrestled with God in that early morning sweat, I came to a realization that all God wants from me is to be obedient. He’s providing the resources and the assignment. I simply have to say yes.
So, what is one life worth? Based on what He did––it’s priceless!
Steve L. Thomas
Founder, Billy’s Home Place