The Value of What We Obtain

 

Dear Reader,

In a YouTube video I listened to today, a quote from Thomas Paine stood out. The full passage reads:

“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.”
— The American Crisis (December 23, 1776)

Paine’s words remind me that the costliness of freedom gives it its worth. This is true not only in the story of nations but also in the journey of the soul. Yesterday, I reflected on obedience, suffering, and salvation. These two messages are strikingly similar. The path of obedience often calls us to surrender pride, the weight of suffering forces us to trust beyond ourselves, and salvation — the freedom of the spirit — comes only through sacrifice and grace.

In recovery, we learn the same lesson. Sobriety is not cheaply won. It requires honesty, humility, and daily commitment. Yet because it is costly, it becomes precious. A life rebuilt from the ruins of addiction shines brighter than one never tested, for its value has been forged in trial.

I remember a time in early sobriety when I needed to end a dating relationship because the person I was with refused to give up marijuana around me. It was a difficult decision, but it was a choice I had to make to protect my recovery and remain drug free. The outcome of that decision opened the way for me to meet someone in recovery — a relationship that lasted 33 years, part of which we were married. The struggle was real, but the reward was priceless.

Today, I have faith in Christ as the ultimate example of sacrifice for change. Our salvation was not purchased lightly but through His suffering and obedience unto death. The price was great, and so the gift is beyond measure.

Paine’s words and the gospel both teach us this: what we hold dear — freedom, recovery, salvation — is not cheap. It is in the very struggle, in the fire of obedience and suffering, that its value is revealed.

As Jesus taught, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Grace is freely given, but living a faithful life requires sacrifice, which in turn deepens our appreciation for salvation.

History also echoes this truth. Abraham Lincoln reminded the nation in 1861:

“And this issue embraces more than the fate of these United States. It presents to the whole family of man, the question, whether a constitutional republic… can, or cannot, maintain its territorial integrity, against its own domestic foes.”

Likewise, Winston Churchill urged perseverance in 1941 with his famous words:

“Never give in — never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

These voices remind us that freedom, perseverance, and salvation are treasures that demand sacrifice.

So, find your mountain and climb it. The climb may be steep, but the summit will not disappoint.

I testify of this truth in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.