The Cost of Doing Great Things

When they walk into a store most people –whether they are living from paycheck to paycheck or earning a six-figure salary for their particular expertise—look at the price tag before they take an item to the register. Everybody wants to know how much what they are about to purchase is going to cost.

While the price is usually expressed in dollars and cents, you may do the same mental calculus that many other people do as they determine how many minutes or hours or days they have to work to pay for this particular item. There also quite a few folks who consider what they will have to give up or put off purchasing if they decide to take their current selection home.

Of course, it’s not just the things you buy at the store that cost you something. If you want to acquire a skill or improve your performance or master a subject, those efforts require an investment of time and energy. It also means sacrificing other pursuits, diversions or activities.

On the other hand, there are a lot of “things” we enjoy for which it is nearly impossible to calculate the cost: the numerous freedoms we enjoy in this country, the right to express our opinions, and the distinct privilege to cast a ballot. It is fitting that we should set aside some time to consider the cost others have paid so many may claim these rights and such freedoms.

May this time of remembrance serve as more than just a reminder that we owe a debt of gratitude to others. May it challenge you to ask, “What am I doing right now to make the world a better place?” It may be something big that requires lots of time and energy and attracts lots of attention; or it may be something small, like waiting a few seconds to hold the door for the person following you into the office.

As a community of faith we believe God calls every person to join the task of working to make the world a better place. When you spend yourself, your time, your energy, and your resources to bring about something better; God notices. May you feel God’s delight as he notices something you do to make the world a better place today.