Last week, the Treasury Department halted production of the penny. The penny has been in circulation since 1793—a period of 232 years. When the penny was first produced, it featured a female figure of liberty on one side and a chain on the other. In 1909, the face of Abraham Lincoln was affixed to the coin, where it has remained until this day. Although there are still over 300 billion pennies in circulation, one objective of this new policy is to gradually eliminate their use. Many see the decision to eliminate the penny as another step in the direction of a completely cashless society. Whether the United States will become a cashless society remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt that eliminating the penny will save a boatload of cash. Eliminating the penny will save $56 million dollars a year!

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect about the decision to eliminate the penny was the research that revealed that it takes more than a penny to make a penny. Comprised of 2.5 grams of copper and zinc, each penny costs 3.7 cents to make. That’s 270% more than they are worth! So our current President made an uncharacteristically wise decision. He directed the Treasury Department to halt its production. To invest the time, energy and money in anything that costs that much but isn’t worth that much is insane.

If investing time, energy and money in people, places and projects where the cost exceeds the value is insane, then I must confess that I am guilty of insanity. As I reflect on my life, I must confess that on far too many fronts, I continue to invest time, energy, and money in people, places and projects that cost much more than they are worth. And I am sure that I am not alone. We all need to take a page from the Treasury’s book, and begin eliminating what costs too much. Continuing to make those investments is an unwise, unrewarding, and unsustainable proposition. We must face that stubborn truth that there are some things that we just can’t afford. They cost too much.

So I have two questions for you to think about today: 1) as you evaluate where you are in this season of your life, what are your commitments and connections costing you? And 2) is the cost worth it?

According to 1 Kings 4:32, Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs. Among them, Proverbs 17:1 shines like a rare jewel. There, the wise king advises us that it is “better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than to have a banquet in a house full of trouble.” Solomon was not only a wise king. He was also a wealthy one. 1 Kings 10:5-6 informs us that a queen once came to visit him. During her visit, Solomon entertained her in royal style. An observer of the festivities filed this report about the proceedings:

The queen of Sheba heard Solomon's wisdom and saw the palace he had built. She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed.

The wise and wealthy King Solomon knew a thing or two about banquets. The banquet he threw in Queen Sheba’s honor was so posh and sumptuous that it left her “breathless and amazed.” But the wise and wealthy King Solomon reminds us that a piece of bread eaten in peace is better than a exquisite banquet where you can’t stand the company. All the time, energy and money required to prepare such a lavish feast isn’t always worth the cost. I wonder if Solomon had Sheba in mind when he wrote this proverb.

But whoever or whatever caused him to leave these words to posterity, I urge you to carve them deeply in your heart and mind. Today, I challenge you to stop investing in people, places and projects where the costs exceeds the value.

That decision will not only save time, energy, and money.

That decision may save your life.

I Can't Afford It