Valerie Rae Hanneman
1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a (NIV) “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”
I was excited to be going to the market in Jos, Nigeria with Biana and my new friend, Blessing. Blessing runs one of the sewing schools for Faith Alive and we were going to market to purchase material to make clothes for me. Biana had advised me to wear my sneakers rather than my flip-flops and I am glad she did. The market had mud and standing water everywhere (other stuff, too, but let’s not go there). Some of the walkways were so narrow we had to turn sideways to go down them. Often we had to duck to go under vendors carrying their wares on their heads. The vendors, even the ones on the second stories, would shout to us trying to gain our interest for everything from shoes to food to machetes. It was loud, colorful and infinitely interesting. The material shops we went to were fantastic! It was never a matter of finding the right material; it was trying to decide which one of the rainbow arrays to choose. I would choose one and Blessing would look at it in the sunlight with me. If she didn’t like the colors on me, she wouldn’t let me buy it. Finally we came across the most beautiful piece of emerald green material. It was love at first sight for me. Blessing told me it was a good color on me (I already knew that) and asked me in a low undertone, “Should I bargain for you?” “Bargain? You mean on the price?” “Yes,” she answered, “I will get a better price for you.” “Sure!” Blessing turned to the vendor and asked the price. “Three thousand naira, (N3,000)” he answered. I did a quick mental calculation in my head – let’s see - N1,000 to $8.00 American means that the five yards of material would be $24.00. I was ecstatic to think that I was going to get that beautiful material for only $24.00! Blessing, on the other hand, had a completely different reaction. Her jaw dropped open in shock. “N3,000!” she all but shouted, “You saw white people and doubled your price! You are not going to do that! You give them the price you’d charge me – or we’re leaving!” (My heart dropped to my toes – I really wanted that material!) Blessing and the vendor argued in Hausa for a moment then she turned to me, “He is dropping the price to N1,500 – but you shouldn’t pay that much, there are other shops.” Again the vendor said something in Hausa, and Blessing turned on him. She leaned forward and stuck her finger in front of his face like she was scolding a small boy, “These people came all the way from America to help at Faith Alive clinic and you would charge them that price! Shame on you! You should be thankful that they are here – what if you need to come to Faith Alive?” Again they argued in Hausa, then Blessing turned to me with a smile, “He is willing to take N1,000, it is a good price.” I had that N1,000 out of my purse with lightning fast speed, and the emerald material was mine for $8.00. Blessing made a beautiful dress and head scarf for me out of it – I love it – and I tell everybody about how Blessing bargained the price down from N3,000 to N1,000.
From the instant I saw the emerald material; I wanted it. It was perfect for me. I was determined to have it and there was not much that was going to stop me from getting it. I would have even paid more than N3,000 for it and would have been happy to do it. I knew that that material had been created for me and that it was exactly what I wanted. But as much as I desired that material, the truth is that although I would have gladly paid the N3,000 I was even gladder that Blessing bargained the price down to N1,000.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is probably the best known Bible verse in the whole world. Maybe it is too well known. Maybe we have gotten so used to rattling it off at the drop of a hat that we don’t listen to it any more – we don’t think about what this verse means in a bone-deep way. Maybe it is that word “world.” Maybe “God so loved the world …..” sounds too big – too impersonal. Maybe the verse should say, “For God so loved YOU that He gave His only begotten Son that if YOU believe in Him YOU will not perish but have everlasting life.” One of my prayer habits is to pray scripture to God, although I often edit the verse a little to make it personal to me. I pray, “Thank You God, for so loving ME that You gave Your only Son, Jesus, so that if I believe in Him I will not perish but have everlasting life.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that God used “the world” in this verse so that we could get a small idea of the infinite vastness of His love for us – but sometimes there is so much joy in making a verse personal.
For God so loved us that He gave His only Son. That just sends shivers of wonder down me. When the price of redeeming us from our sin-choices was set – it was the life and blood of the Crown Jewel of Heaven, the Bright and Morning Star, the One whom Father loved more than anything else – the price tag was His Son. And God did not bargain for us. He did not say, “That price is too high! Take the twelve gates of pearl and the streets of gold instead.” He didn’t say, “Take the archangel Michael, or the archangel Gabriel, they are the highest ranking angels in all of heaven.” He didn’t even hesitate, He just said, “Yes. I will pay that price for them because I love them so much.”
Do you ever feel small and insignificant in this vast universe? You are not small and insignificant to God - He paid an immense price to restore you to Him. Do you wonder if this life we are called to is worth it with all of its trails and tribulations? Father thinks the life He has called us to was worth the trial and tribulation of giving His Son’s life. Do you think you don’t make a difference in this world? You make a difference to God; He would rather die than live without you.
I really wanted that emerald material, but there was a limit to what I would have paid for it. God had no limit, He paid everything for us. We have been bought with a price – and the price was a sacrifice of love. He counts us worthy of this price and we should act like it. All that He asks us to do is to love Him. All things considered – that isn’t to much – is it?
LORD God, Your love for us brings me to my knees in wonder and awe of You. You know that my heart’s desire is to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength. My weakness is in taking my heart’s desire and making it my day-by-day living. Help me, LORD God, to express my love for You in my everyday thoughts, words and actions.