ανεκτίμητος is the Greek word for inestimable.  Inestimable is used to define something or someone who is calculated with value that is too great to be measured.  We all know things that are of this kind of value.  Watching our son hit his first homerun OR walking across the stage to receive our high school diploma are great examples.

In the world of fitness this idea is a often a mulled over topic but there is no feeling or amount of money to replace the experience of being on the top of a podium.  There is nothing that can replace a gold medal at the Olympics (I would imagine).  There is nothing of value that can replace being at the pinnacle of your sport and feeling the surge of satisfaction for the effort put forth.  (Again I am speculating here)  There are a lot of things surrounding sport that have measurable value.  Sponsorships, time spent training, etc however being at the top or being successful when it matters does not sit on the scale for measurable value.

Haggai 1:9 is a great reminder of this reality but on a much grander scale.  It states, “You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.”  In the context the Jews in Jerusalem are more worried about their own livelihood and well-being than they are the worship of God.  They refuse to focus on or build the central place of worship and instead focus on themselves.  What they fail to understand is their houses and their livelihood all have measurable value.  The Lord God who made the very earth they exist on is ανεκτίμητος; immeasurably valuable to the extent that there is no number or dollar sign or comparison to His worth.

He trumps our desire for acceptance, comfortability, riches, popularity and certainly success.  His value far exceeds anything we could ever achieve or gain.  I mean really what is a Olympic gold medal or a Crossfit Games championship in comparison to the One who created gold itself?  Really?  Isn’t that like giving credit and worth to the person who sells the painting and no credit to the painter?

We all innately understand that there are things in life that lack monetary value but instead are of immeasurable value.  However, the reality is that even our emotions and our feelings, surrounding great sport triumph, will fade.  When we die that triumph will be forgotten and likely be replaced with another.  While the value of those experiences is hard to measure, their endurance is not.  The value of our God never fades.  He never loses value or lacks in worthiness and he never fades.  Today was a great reminder that our actions, work, successes, and reputation fail miserably in comparison to God’s value.  Serving His glory is serving a power that will always reign above ours and always be more valuable than anything we can create.

Haggai 1:9 is a good reminder to me that it is important to succeed and win.   It is important to use the gifts and talent given to its upmost ability.  However it is most important to give credit where credit is due.  I didn’t create the capability for that talent or that success.  It was given to me to develop by a God who stands in immeasurable value to any success I could earn myself.