Trading Priceless For Valuable

“Why am I receiving this newsletter on a Saturday?” you may be asking. After some reflection, I’ve made the decision to write 6 days a week instead of 5.

Because of that, it made sense to move the newsletter to Saturday from Monday, and I’m going to laser in and focus on more reflective topics that we can all think about over the weekend.

With that being said, let’s get into this week’s topic!

A few weeks ago, I caught myself working late. To be very honest, I haven’t done that many times since Colter was born in November.

I was at my computer in my home office with a long list still unfinished.

You know the drill.

It felt productive. It even felt important!

But when I finally shut everything down and walked into the living room, I realized something:

I was only going to get a few minutes with Colter because he had an early bed time that night (he’s currently 6 months old).

In that realization, there was a reminder of a piece of content that I had read earlier that week and it hit me...

I had just traded a priceless moment for something valuable.

It wasn’t a bad trade on paper.

You know the justification...I’m building. Pushing things forward. Making the right “moves.”

But it didn’t feel like a win. It actually made me feel guilty.

Let’s be honest here and call a spade a spade. There’s no shortage of things trying to convince us they matter:

• Urgent emails
• Strategic partnerships
• Recognition and relevance
• A financial crisis
• Social media
• The list goes on...

All of these things have value.

They’re not bad. In fact, many are part of the call God has placed on your life.

But here’s the danger:

You can begin to trade what’s priceless for what’s valuable and you don’t even notice it.

The priceless things often don’t shout.

They’re not urgent.

They don’t demand your attention.

They’re usually found in silence, margin, relationships, and obedience.

They show up in:

• Your spouse’s trust and presence
• Your child’s heart being shaped by your words and actions
• The peace you feel when you’ve sat in God’s presence before the day begins
• The way you carry yourself with your team
• The still, small voice of the Spirit that’s drowned out by noise and speed

And the reason this matters so much is because we don’t usually choose to walk away from the priceless.

It just happens. We drift.

I’m not sure if you see this in your life like I do, but with me one of the enemy’s most subtle strategies isn’t to get me to choose evil…it’s to get me to choose lesser things. Things that may seem good, but aren’t the things of greatness that God has planned.

And because what I’m choosing still has value, it doesn’t feel wrong.

But over time, it robs me of what can’t be bought, built, or regained.

And if you’re like me, your weeks are full.

You’re building. Leading. Stewarding. Providing.

And it’s good work!

But even good work needs recalibration and refocusing.

We don’t need to abandon what we’re building… We just need to be ruthlessly clear on what must never be traded.

This Week’s Questions

As you step into Sabbath this weekend, ask yourself:

• What am I tempted to trade away without realizing it?
• Where do I feel the pull toward distraction, even if it can seem “good”?
• How does the enemy try to use subtlety to distract me into not seeing these trades?

The enemy of your soul doesn’t have to derail your life.

He just has to convince you that valuable is good enough.

But God has called you to more!

You’ve been entrusted with priceless things.

Guard them. Treasure them.

Live like they matter…because they do!