What is Your Net Worth?
Recently I was helping a client in my law office with a business loan application and the completion of other various financial disclosures. As we completed our analysis of this man’s financial life to date, the forms basically sized up the success of his career, goals and his life mission all in the asking of one final question; “what is your net worth”?
Not too alarming, nothing new, being an attorney and CPA it is just the norm to hold your breath to see if the loan will be granted, the partnership will be established, or opportunities for the future will be afforded all based on a man’s net worth. How many times have I pulled up my bank balances on line and hurriedly rechecked my home appraised value only to add the numbers to come to a paltry dollar value. Most of the time this exercise leaves me defeated and wondering what did I do wrong? Sure I have had some major financial setbacks that were out of my control but lets face it, if I were smarter and craftier that number would be a number I would be proud of. Doesn’t a man’s net worth define his real value?
In Luke 5:1 the most amazing account of a man’s net worth is told. Peter and his good friends have fished all night only to come up empty handed. Back to the shore and time to clean and mend those smelly and lifeless nets. I have never been much of a fisherman because I just can’t find enjoyment when no fish are caught. I cant even imagine fishing all night, not catching any fish and now having to stay up three more hours to clean the nets, all just to get ready for another night of disappointment.
As Peter and his gang were doing their work Jesus showed up to ask Peter to give it another try. Reluctantly, after completing the folding of the nets, and at the very worst time of the day, Peter shoved off back out to sea with his friends in tow. You know the account of what happened next; they dropped their nets and caught more in one try then they had caught in weeks. The jackpot! What a miracle! Wow no doubt Peter and his friends were ringing up the cash register, surely their CPAs were tallying up their new “net worth”. Time to expand the business. More boats please!
This is where I shake my head. Peter’s net was now worth more than ever, he was a man of means, he wasn’t some crazy guy who ran off to follow some itinerant preacher, he was a success! The miracle, at least to me, occurred after the fish were caught. What did Peter do, stop and count the fish, pay his taxes, give some cash to the poor and then spread the news that Jesus was the ticket? No Peter dropped his net, left his successful business and fell at the feet of the Son of God. You know the rest of the story.
What is my net worth? Peter dropped his net to follow Jesus; he counted the cost and found that his net was worth nothing (even on his best day) compared to following Christ. Why do I keep asking this question?
What is your “net worth”?