If It’s Important, Pay for It

  • Save

Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give[a] you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

Ephron answered Abraham, “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[d] of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.

So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.

Afterward, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.

Genesis 23:10-20

– – –

If it is imporant, pay for it.

As your business grows and your company expands, you'll find that your influence and wealth leads to people offering you all kinds of things for free and at heavily discounted rates.

Each opportunity to “get it for free” presents a chance to showcase your character and build(or tear down) your reputation.

While it's perfectly fine to accept some things for free, it is important to pay for what matters.

EXERCISE YOUR FAITH + FOCUS & FLOW

Let the example that Abraham provides in purchasing Sarah's burial plot (the plot that would ultimately become significant to generations to come) be your guide in determining when to accept it for free and when to pay.

In general:

  • If it really matters to you, pay the going rate for it.
  • If it will likely matter to future generations, pay the going rate for it.
  • If it is competitively sought after by others, pay the going rate for it.

* * * *

TC is teaching a practical formula for putting this principle into practice during the March FaithFocusFlow® Leaders Masterclass. Don't miss it. Enrollment is open at www.FaithFocusFlow.com/JoinUs.

Show 1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Barb

    My motto is, if it’s free, there must be a catch. Always trust your instincts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.