The Value of a Penny

A couple of days ago I got up bright and early and went out for my walk. Since I walked for over an hour and didn’t want to venture out too far, I ended up walking the same path multiple times. On my fourth trip around, I ended up looking down at a certain point and I noticed a penny on the ground. I was completely amazed because it obviously was there the first three times I traveled that way but I never noticed it and walked right past it. I went over and picked it up.

As I continued to walk, I purposely looked at the ground to see what else I could find. It was only about three steps later that I found another penny. I continued to look towards the ground as I walked for the next several minutes. Once I was out of that particular area, I resumed my pace and decided to go ahead and head home.

I walked, and I walked, and I waked. When I got just one street away from home, I ‘happened’ to glance down again and noticed two pennies on the side of the road, just sitting there. Purposely looking down as I continued on, once again it was only about three steps later that I found another penny. With five pennies held in my hand, I made it back home just a few minutes later.

Yes, the pennies were nasty, dirty, beat up, and discolored. And, I know many of you are questioning why I would even pick them up off the ground. But the truth of the matter is, no matter what they look like, they still have value. Now, I did use wisdom. I didn’t just automatically put them in my purse. As soon as I got inside I purified them with hand sanitizer and then took them to the bathroom sink to wash away any residual muck and mire. They didn’t look perfect, but they were cleaned and ready to be used.

How often do we treat the people in our lives like pennies? Do we just discard them, leave them behind, and trample all over them? When we see them at their lowest point, are we unable to recognize their value? Do we not want to reach out and help pull them out of their current circumstances because we’ve judged them to be nasty, dirty, beat up, or discolored?

What if God treated us the way we treat the Penny’s in our lives? We, too, would be lost and hopeless. But praise God He was willing to wash us by the blood of the Lamb and purify us from all unrighteousness. No matter what we look like as a result of what we’ve been through, He is still willing to use us for Kingdom purpose. He promised us He would give us beauty for ashes. Our scars are simply evidence of the wars we have won.

We have been told not to judge a book by its cover. Now, I encourage you not to judge a Penny by her positioning. Look past the dirt and treat her with dignity. Don’t just see what’s visible. Look deeper and recognize her value.

Questions to Ask

·      Who are the Penny’s in your life?

·      What do you need to do differently to treat them like they’re valued?

·      What valuable things do you have in your life that you continue to pass right by?

Scripture to Study

·      1 John 1:7

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