We live in a day in which our sense of worth most often comes from what we do, what we possess, how others see us, or what we have achieved. Recently my pastor reminded us that even the games we play reinforce that belief. The winner of the board game of “Life” is the one who amasses the most possessions before arriving at “Millionaire Acres.” As a matter of fact, that’s true of most of the games we play. We win by defeating others, by coming out on top, by amassing the most points or objects. All too often, we are so driven by our misguided sense of worth that we are willing to win at any cost.

Our misguided sense of worth isn’t a new thing; it dates back to the days of Adam and Eve. They bought a lie, and then their son Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. We’ve been buying the lie and comparing ourselves to others ever since.

As we read through the Gospels, we find that there were many who even followed Jesus for all the wrong reasons. They wanted to have more and be more. They followed Him, seeking what He could do for them – a miracle, a meal, riches, or perhaps even a position in His kingdom. Sadly, most would eventually turn away from Him – rejecting His teachings … and most importantly, rejecting Him….