Ronald Wayne’s Most Foolish Exchange

This tweet is making its rounds through the Internets:

As I read that I thought to myself, “I wonder if this is perhaps the dumbest exchange in the history of mankind”.  The guy figured that Apple would be a success but he couldn’t risk the bumps in the road and the potential risk of Apple.  So he exchanged his stock in an up and coming business for 800 pictures of George Washington.  That exchange cost him over 58 billion dollars.

This has to be perhaps the worst exchange in the history of mankind. 

Or is it? 

Actually this exchange by Ronald Wayne is not even the most foolish exchange in his own life.  From what I have read of him it appears that Wayne has lived his life in rebellion to his Creator.  He has, as Romans 1 states, “exchanged the truth of God for a lie”.  He has chosen to “worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. 

That was me.  I lived a good portion of my life exchanging my “Apple stock” for the fleeting pleasures of 800 bucks.  After all 800 bucks is tangible.  It’s safe.  It pays dividends now.  Even though a life hidden in Christ probably has its rewards it’s risky, too dangerous, too many bumps in the road.  I’ll take my 800 bucks. 

Sadly, this is the daily exchange rate of unbelievers.  They trade in the blessed God—the one of whom it is said, “in His presence is fullness of joy”—for treasure that does not last.  They have decided that the safe though fleeting pleasures of today will prove more valuable than risky faith in the blessed God. 

Jesus changes this.  His Spirit stirs our hearts to be dissatisfied with moth-eaten treasures.  The stars shine, the earth trembles, the heavens testify to His greatness and our heart begins to ache for the something more.  The risky Jesus proves all too attractive and all too lovely to throw away our life on lesser gods.  And so our hearts leap.  We refuse to hedge our bets and play it safe.  We lay it down and follow the One who says, “Follow me, come and die.” 

And there…There in the strong arms of Jesus we find rest for our weary souls.  There the heart of the foolish exchange is broken.  There we meet the blessed God!  There we taste and see that the Lord is good!  There we find life—as it is—hidden in Christ. 

May the Lord break our hearts of the foolish exchange…