1249) My grandfather was an amazing man. He had a great sense of humor and I believe I inherited his storytelling ability. I can remember one time when we were together on my birthday, I opened a card that produced a five-dollar bill. I was so excited; five dollars seemed like so much money, but then my grandfather leaned toward me and said, “I’ll give you everything in my billfold for that five-dollar bill.” I said no. He then opened his wallet and showed me all kinds of bills. Being a child, I did not know the value of money, so I didn’t really understand I had turned down a good deal.

Have you ever considered the purpose of money? Does the paper the money is printed on hold the value? Yes, and no. A dollar bill is a symbol that gives us a degree of value; some bills have less value than others. These values represent the effort made (or not) to earn it. Of course, each bill’s value changes based on economic factors I don’t really understand.

Paul uses the symbol of money to illustrate an important principle in 1 Thessalonians 5:15. He tells us to not repay wrong with wrong. In other words, when someone hands us a dollar bill, representing their treatment of us based on the degree they feel we deserve, we are not to give it or a bill of higher value back to them.

This is not a principal many of us who have grown up in our faith are not aware of, but have you considered that you don’t even need to accept the “bill” someone else gives you in the first place? If someone hands you a bill symbolizing that their view of you is worthless or even of less importance than they are, you do not need to even accept this bill. In doing so, you don’t even take in the poison that you may be tempted to throw right back at them.

It takes effort to refuse the judgment another person has made against you, but if you can learn to do it, then this back “payment” won’t even be an issue.