Values Versus Comparison.

Walking through the antique stores while admiring the ways of the past is how many take in the bygone years. Dusty notes grace a symphony, a beckoning harmony of the Shenandoah valley a luring poem that fills your ears. Beckoning you back over and over, many random antique items fancy your imagination. Pulling at your heartstrings, the vice of temptation a lullaby pleasing to the soul, leads to purchase them once again. As long as we find more things to buy, whether it's a collectors item or something useable, we keep going.

How much does it cost to purchase an item from the antique store and use it once again? Well as far as material items go, it's whatever the sticker says is the price. Sometimes our very heartstrings are pulling us towards something so pretty or useful, until we start to get the all-too famous dilemma known by a contrite few. This often cardiac jump is known as the "sticker-shock" affect; a very dangerous three-person game of shock, temptation and suppressed guilt. Not only do we not always resist temptation, but we get ourselves pumped up to avoid the realization that it's probably not very prudent. Then after we buy it, we do everything in our small minds to talk away and suppress the guilt.

Let's say we buy some fancy shiney item that's $500. Usually we could find it at the local hardware store or dollar general for a third of the price and spend less gas. But considering the fact that it's antique and more than likely made with pride, we decide to go the antique store. All the while we are telling ourselves we are supporting local, which I truly support. But after we buy it and think about how much it cost, we try to suppress the sticker-guilt.

"Buying local and supporting small businesses is not a bad thing. But we not only need to be more diligent about it, giving the small man a chance. Bigger companies have corporate to fall back on, while the local businesses have you and I."

But let's talk about the One who has paid the ultimate sticker price for all of our awful sins. The cost would have been beyond sticker-shock, requiring a check that no-one could ever cash. Pouring His blood out on the world, Jesus Christ forgave us of our sins by dying on the Cross. The nails through His wrists and His ankles, with the spear in His side, and the awful bloody crown of thorns was a price too steep for us. A somber harmony of forgiveness and suffering was all for our second chance, each drop of blood a note, every drop of sweat a cry for God to take it away.

Jesus Christ did ask for a way out of the Romans punishment, yet it was God's plan all along. Jesus Christ gave no second thought to comparison, or any guilt about paying the ultimate sacrifice, yet gave us a way into salvation and heaven. All we have to do is humble ourselves and invite Jesus Christ into our hearts, asking for forgiveness and a new life. Let's His blood wash you clean. Did He quiver when He was in the raging storm on the ocean with His disciples, not at all. How much more would He do for you?

Philippians 2:3–4: Encourages humility, valuing others above self, and looking to the interests of others.