“Less than the price of a hamburger.” That's what scientists say each human is worth. These researchers look past the character, personality, talents, and abilities and place a value on our chemical ingredients. Can you imagine looking at a baby taking its first breaths of air and saying, “See that? She's not worth more than $3.00.” And, “Oh, mister scientist. You cured the dreaded spread of Malaria. But you're still not worth more than $3.00.” The idea here, is that no matter what language you speak, no matter if you typically wear a suit worth hundreds of dollars or a jungle skirt, WHAT'S INSIDE is still worth less than a hamburger.
Maybe another value comparison would be looking at a human and also looking at a robot that has something of the appearance of a person. The scientist would look at them both and would likely say, “Well sure, that robot has $84,000. worth of motors, gears, and computers inside it. But the human... he's worth a little less than $3.00.”
Yes, the comparison is rather unlikely, because the real value of a person is that of his spirit and intellect. A flesh and blood person designed and built the nuts and bolts robot he's standing next to. To consider a robot designing and building a human is unthinkable.
Is it possible that we place a reasonable value on a teen or ex-teen who's appearance, attitudes, and actions are close to what you and I consider normal; that fit closely to our own appearance, attitudes, and actions. But change any one of the three a's and we consider them trash, and maybe even dangerous trash.
God's Word, our bible, is (and must remain) our ultimate guide for placing value on all things, in and around us. God gave the prophet Samuel in old testament times, one of many fantastic directives that must be part of our own criteria also. In 1st Samuel 16:7, God's directive was, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
In today's speaking we'd say, “Don't judge a book by it's cover.” That's the OUTWARD part of a person that we should NOT be focused on. The other part of the verse says we should strive to look on (and be a blessing to) one's heart... his/her soul and spirit.
This and the first two segments of Help Cries have taken extra time to help us dig deep into our own hearts and make sure we have the God-driven attitudes and value for His harvest field. That's the harvest field of ex-teens and those youth that society has shoved into shadows and out of our sight and focus.
Our focus and ultimate goal appears in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John. What we are to measure is our own love against the pinnacle stated here and demonstrated on Calvary's Cross where Jesus Christ showed His love for us and those with orange hair and all their trimmings. The 13th verse boldly says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
So... What is my value of the soul of an ex-teen? Do my attitudes and actions show it... do they show them?
