The Exchange
What does the word, exchange, make you think of? Many things come to mind when I think of this word and what it means.
The first thing that comes to mind is the world of retail. I can recall several times when I needed to exchange a shirt for a different color or size. As long as it was the same price, a simple exchange was made.
Another time was when I was shopping for our weekly groceries and noticed a tear in my bag of frozen veggies. A quick exchange was made to replace that item, but only after a mad dash was made to the frozen food section while others were waiting patiently in line. It felt like the race of a lifetime! Can anyone else relate? (Maybe it’s just me.)
Exchanges happen every day. People exchange currencies for international travel. Store-bought purchases are made with an exchange of money for goods. With a little help of some stored-up gas points and a credit card, fuel is pumped. Signing a gym membership in exchange for good health and fitness is always a plus. And the list goes on and on.
Simply put, we exchange our time for things that we see valuable, or needed. We exchange our energy and effort for an outcome that is envisioned. We view these exchanges as goals to be achieved or a commitment fulfilled.
If we are not careful though, the exchange can eventually cost us more than we think.
An exchange is a transaction of a give and take. It is a trade of value made by what is wanted by that person.
What if we looked at our exchanges in the way of how we utilize our time or energy? How do we invest in ourselves and what are the outcomes for us spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and mentally?
There are healthy exchanges and unhealthy exchanges.
Nowadays, I hear more and more this mentality:
“What’s in it for me?” and “What can I get out it?”
This mentalilty is very self-driven and self-focused. It is an exchange that is only for self-serving purposes. This causes unhealthy relationships or the lack of relationships and a low level of commitment.
Unhealthy exchanges can happen with small compromises. These exchanges can be subtle and have a negative impact on our lives, if we are not careful.
When I think about the positive exchanges that pertain to my physical, spiritual, mental and emotional self, I always consider if they are valuable and necessary. Will they cultivate healthy exchanges in my life?
What am I exchanging each day? What am I investing in to create healthy exchanges? How do I maintain healthy exchanges?
I think it starts with God’s word. Philippians 4:8-9 can help us:
“Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.”
What’s the exchange we read in these verses?
Whatever is true, honorable, worthy, confirmed by God’s word, pure, wholesome, lovely and brings peace, whatever is of good repute THINK on these things and PRACTICE these things in our DAILY life.
Here’s the exchange: There will be peace and well-being with you.
With this exchange comes boundaries and standards. God’s words help us to set the exchange value. It helps us to see what we spend our time doing, listening to and living for. These decisions have an impact on our lives. An exchange happens with every choice we make.
We must guard our hearts and minds. We must put boundaries in place to help us make wise exchanges.
When we pray, the exchange is: knowing God more and His character. You can’t put a price tag on the presence of God. God freely loves and gives. His exchange comes without cost to us because Jesus paid it in FULL.
God simply asks us to surrender ALL that we have and ALL that we are. In exchange, we can be shaped and become everything that He has created us to be.
As we daily surrender, we become more like Jesus. Our motives and mindsets become NOT about what we can get (in exchange), but rather, what we can GIVE.
Bethany Marshall
