Back in August 2007, a Laurens County Georgia sheriff’s deputy pulled to the right side of road and began to make a left U-turn. As he pulled back onto the road toward a 90 degree angle, a motorcyclist traveling in the same direction t-boned the sheriff’s cruiser at such a rate of speed that the impact flipped the car over on its side. The deputy was seriously injured and the motorcyclist was fatally injured.

The motorcyclist’s widow sued the county, the sheriff’s department, the sheriff, and the deputy for what she calls (notice I am quoting here) “the full value of the life of her husband.” What price tag could you put on a man’s life? Well, apparently he was worth a cool $1,000,000 to her.

I lost track of the case and I am not sure of its outcome. I have neither the desire nor responsibility to determine the merits of this case. What intrigues me is placing a monetary value on the life of a human being.

While not addressing the monetary value of one’s earthly existence, Jesus did rhetorically ask about the value of the human soul.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:25-26

Who’s to say how much one’s time here on earth is worth, but we can easily determine the value of the human soul. Jesus exchanged His life for our soul. That makes our soul the most valuable commodity known to man.

You are so valuable to God that He gave His Son’s life in exchange for you. Never believe the devil’s lie that you don’t matter or that you are insignificant. You are worth far more than a mil to God. Our lives have been redeemed, let’s rise above the common and ordinary and live as the priceless treasures that we are.