I recently saw a list of evangelists and mega church preachers along with their net worth. Billy Graham was listed at $25 million at the time of his death. The article was obviously aimed at smearing them for getting rich from the donations to their church or association. Billy Graham was my childhood inspiration and I was a little surprised by that figure. When the Billy Graham Evangelical Association was formed in 1950 Billy was drawing a salary of $15,000 per year. An article in a Texas publication listed his annual salary in 1973 at $39,000, but mentioned that he gave away $600,000 that same year. I’m sure that was possible because of royalties from book sales (not donations). Billy wrote 33 books and his wife Ruth wrote at least five best sellers. The home, in North Carolina, where Billy and Ruth Graham raised their children and resided until their death, has four bedrooms and two baths; hardly an extravagant lifestyle. Billy Graham is a child of God who literally led millions of others to faith in Jesus Christ. His net worth in heaven is beyond measure compared to whatever he left behind down here. Net worth can be deceiving. Thomas Edison once said, “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.” By that criteria, how can you and I measure our true net worth?
We certainly can’t rely on society’s rating system using our possessions, influence and usefulness. Society is like a store display case with all of the price tags switched. Those things that are fleeting are highly valued and those things of lasting importance are discounted. People like me, who are retired and/or disabled and unable to work and pay tax, are devalued as a negative drag on society. Society also devalues unborn babies as expendable inconveniences requiring burdensome responsibility and expense; who can be discarded through abortion. No, true net worth won’t ever be found there.
How about our own assessment of our net worth? Paul warns, “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (Romans 12:3) When we look at ourselves in a mirror, our image and worth are clouded and even distorted by our over-confidence or insecurity; our victories or loses; our current joy or pain. No, we will always value ourselves either too high or too low. So how can we determine our true net worth?
Paul points to the answer at the end of the verse I quoted and Jesus teaches us, “Yes, a person is foolish to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:21) True net worth begins with our relationship with God. What does God think we are worth? The simple answer to that question is found in the familiar words of John 3:16. We are so valuable to God that He sent His Son to die on a cross, paying the price of our sins and giving us the gift of eternal life. All we have to do is accept and open that gift with a repentant and grateful heart. Is it possible to increase our net worth in God’s sight? God values our love, worship and obedience. When we obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit within us to love, encourage and help others around us, our net worth will grow accordingly.