Key Bible Verse: How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? (Mark 8:36). Bonus Reading: Mark 8:34–37

A doctor slammed the phone down in exasperation and rubbed his eyes. I asked him what was wrong. He recounted to me his financial woes. His huge home in an exclusive part of the city was costing far more than he'd ever planned to spend. His children were costing a small fortune to send away to fine boarding schools. His wife demanded a new, very expensive car. And the fee for membership in the country club had quadrupled.

When I suggested cutting back, he glared at me as if I were a leper, and remarked, "The most important thing in my life is my house and my social standing. If I lose those things I might as well die! My life will have no meaning!"

It's sad that our society compels us to value our possessions, our social standing, and our automobiles over the value of our soul and the souls of our children.

What is your value system? Is it shaped by the world and what society says is important? Or is your value system shaped by the Father and what He considers important?