What’s the Value of a Penny?

By Sherry Myers

If you saw a ten-dollar bill on the ground, would you pick it up?  How about a five-dollar bill or a one-dollar bill?  More than likely, you would.  How about change?  Would you pick up a quarter, dime, or nickel?  You probably still would.  Now, let’s think about the lowest form of change.  Would you pick up a penny if you saw it on the ground?  A few might, but most would find it unworthy of their effort to stoop down and claim the coin.

If you think about it though, those pennies add up to the nickel, dime, and quarter we would pick up.  If we added up a lifetime’s worth of overlooked pennies, just imagine what the sum might be!
The same way that we can overlook the value of a penny, we can overlook the value of others.  Sometimes, we look at someone who isn’t what we think of as lovely, smart, or talented, and we overlook them as unworthy of the time we might invest in getting to know them.  It’s easy to pass by a person who is homeless or struggling with an addiction and just keep walking, seeing them as less than human.  Perhaps we consider them a blemish on society.  I believe one day God will show us all of the treasures that were hidden in some people whom we never saw.  What if the addict gets freed and has the anointing to help others?  What if the homeless person is released into ministry to serve other people in the same situation?

We need to use wisdom with others and act when we feel led to do something.  Maybe God will put it on our hearts to give someone a few dollars, to say “God bless you,” or to pray for someone.  A smile doesn’t cost anything and rarely causes an adverse reaction.  Feel free to give them away!  Taking the time to see the value in one person could literally affect many other lives – including yours. 

The next time you are walking down the street and see a penny, pick it up.  Consider its value – its worth – and let it remind you to see the value in others.