Which would you rather have:  an iPad or a blanket?  This morning, eating breakfast with my family, this was the topic.  We are days away from Christmas, and I have children ranging in age from 4 to 11, and we get a discussion about value?  It was interesting and eye-opening for me.  For a moment I was having flashbacks to reading Money Mastery by Billy Epperhart or being in a Wealthbuilder’s conference.  I could hear his Texas drawl in my head, “Ladies and gentlemen you have to understand the difference between cost and value, they’re not the same thing.”  I remember writing that down.  I even remember sharing that with my friends.  I don’t think I really understood it until today.  Someone on social media shares a letter to Santa this morning that says (in youthful grammar), “Dear Santa, I have been good.  I would like a ball and some food.  I need a blanket.”

When I read that I knew I had to share it with my family.  At breakfast the discussion began.  We were all touched by reading the letter to Santa.  It instantly makes you think of things that aren’t normal in our day-to-day world.  We didn’t write letters to Santa, but if we did a blanket would not be on the list.  We have blankets, food and loads of toys now.  It is so good to get a perspective from someone else’s point of view.  A blanket only costs $10 -$15 but an iPad is $400 and up.  In our eyes we may think an iPad is higher value but in that young boy’s eyes a blanket would be.  It instantly made us reflect.  We think our iPad is so much more valuable than one of our blankets.  My son said that’s only if you have blankets.  If you don’t have a blanket then it would be of greater value than an iPad.

We so often think it still goes back to costs.  There are people reading this that are thinking, “Sell the iPad and buy 40 blankets.”  There is still a difference and it’s significant.  Blankets and iPads may not be the best example to illustrate value and cost. I think about the time this morning I had with my family.  Is an iPad worth more than that?  Some would say yes.  They would tell you that you’re worth so much money an hour and the iPad would equate to multiple hours, therefore an iPad is worth more than the hour spent at breakfast.  They are wrong.  If you measure value only in money then you will be led down a path that associates value with cost every time.  Value and cost is different.  They are things that cost zero yet have value for eternity.

To someone who is cold a blanket is of great value.  To someone in need of love a relationship is more valuable than anything money can buy.  This Christmas, and every day, let’s remember how to value things.  There are things each one of us possess that carries a value in our heart that is priceless.  I pray we see through God’s eyes and value what’s valuable.

Merry Christmas.