Just a baseball glove...

Saturday our youth group had one of our favorite events, the "Thrift Store Dinner." We team up and rush off to neighboring thrift stores to find clothes that likely would never be sold unless there was a global time warp to the 1980's. We then wear these clothes to Souplantation, a local buffet-style restaurant. Some of our most memorable experiences together as a youth group have spawned from this event, and this year was no exception.

As we visited the Salvation Army Thriftstore looking for accessories (wigs, jewelry, ties, headgear), a baseball glove buried among helmets and cheap trinkets caught my eye. Could it be? No way! It was a genuine "Heart of the Hide" Rawlings Gold Glove Pro88. This is what I called a "six-finger" glove as a kid and was a symbol of status and skills. I looked at the price tag and my eyes lit up like I was 12 years old: $2.50. It is a glove that sells for $200 online at a fraction of the value. I laughed to myself, just having bought a shirt for $3.99 - clearly the person who priced the glove did not know what they had! Needless to say, I bought the glove and even played a little catch with my dad later!

Where the story becomes more interesting is I brought the glove to church to show a couple of people who I thought would appreciate the find. I showed it to two people who played college baseball: one has long retired from the game and the other is still playing. The first man I showed it was amazed at the condition and recognized the value of the glove. When he played many years ago he was able to buy a glove of this quality for half price and paid $100. It was my turn to be amazed when I showed the current player and asked, "What do you think this glove is worth?" He turned it over in his hands laughing and said, "Ten bucks?" I was incredulous! What? This is a Rawlings Gold Glove series! This is the "Heart of the Hide!" This glove sells for $200! Like the person who priced the glove, he didn't recognize the value of what he was holding. Much of my excitement came from the fact that the glove was very valuable and I received it for next to nothing.

As I mused upon the different responses, the glove is a great example of how people value or don't value Christ. One man, even through he plays baseball, did not recognize the true value of the glove. I believe many Christians do not comprehend the value of the relationship we can have with Christ through faith. I am not surprised that the person who marked the glove did not know how valuable a glove it was because he or she likely does not play baseball. The world looks at Christianity as a common thing without value. The brand of Christianity they are often exposed to has no more impact than any other religious faith or philosophy. This is a sad commentary.

What if the people in the church really knew the value of the relationship they possess with the Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe? Like I gladly showed my new glove to several people with joy, we would never be ashamed to carry Christ with us. We would expose people to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. We would treasure our salvation with thankfulness and freely share the Good News of the Gospel with others. I am broken by the fact that we can be more happy about earthly things like sports and find them easier to talk about than the vital relationship we have with God.

Do you value Christ? Do you recognize the value of your own salvation? It is likely that our estimation is closer to ten bucks rather than the priceless commodity salvation through faith in Jesus really is. John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." God has made a way to eternal life only through faith in Jesus Christ. What would a man give to simply prolong his life on earth? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Let us not value God because of what we receive from Him, but praise Him for being worthy in Himself to receive all honor, glory, and praise.