As my siblings and I were growing up, my dad was constantly training and teaching. He could pull a life lesson out of every seemingly ordinary situation. One area in which we were instructed early on was in dealing wisely with finances. And though we learned to be frugal and to look for good deals, one of my dad’s favorite pearls of wisdom was, “You get what you pay for.”

Isn’t it true? Yes, coupons and sales are fantastic, but when you want an item of quality, price can’t always be compromised. When a knockoff brand-name item—like a fake Coach purse or a pair of phony Nike shoes—falls apart after a month or two, we aren’t surprised. We think, “Well, you got what you paid for!”

My dad’s wise sayings often come to mind, and I thought of this one recently as I read I Corinthians 6:19-20: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

We may buy expensive things like jewelry, cars, and houses and think that because we have paid an exorbitant price, we are receiving an item of value and quality. After all, you get what you pay for. But no price we could ever pay for any earthly item could compare to the ultimate price that Christ paid on the cross. 

I was convicted while reading these verses because they forced me to think about whether my Savior is getting everything that He paid for in me. Sometimes we Christians fall into the mindset that living for God is a sacrifice; but He is not asking anything unreasonable in desiring that we serve Him with our lives, because they are already His. By living to honor and glorify Christ, we are merely giving Him what He already rightfully owns! 

I’ve found these verses from I Corinthians—as well as my dad’s wise words—a good reminder to myself each day to make sure that I don’t live my life as though it is my own, but rather to ensure that the Lord gets what He has already paid for.

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Lauren Morris

Lauren Morris, GSBC Professor

Mrs. Lauren Morris is a graduate of North Valley Baptist Schools and Golden State Baptist College. She is an integral faculty member of her college alma mater and is responsible for training the next generation in the subjects of English, education, and music. Mrs. Morris is also heavily involved in the music ministry of North Valley Baptist Church and has been faithfully serving on staff for many years.