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What the Facebook IPO has taught me ... We Are terrible at how we value things

The much hyped about Facebook IPO turned out to be a huge embarrassment when the price slid well below its IPO price.

The IPO price of $38 per share values Facebook as a company at $104billion.

In 2007, Microsoft made a $15billion bid for Facebook.

If we believe in the power of averages, that makes Facebook worth around half of what the IPO said it was. Even at that sort of price, it is tremendously suspicious. How did people decide that a social network which originally started as people sharing their lives is worth $104billion? This puts it way above a lot of firms that do manufacturing and services.

Once conclusion we can draw is that, actually, maybe people don't really think that it is worth $104billion but is buying it so that they can sell it to some fool who thinks it could be worth more, in which case this is just plain greed.

The other conclusion we can draw is that we are just terrible at valuing things - a disease evident in how we value Jesus Christ hence Christ came forth with the warning:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermins destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

As Christians, we ought to ask ourselves what really is our treasure? Do we value it above Facebook (or insert your own treasure here)?

We ought to come to the realization that our greatest treasure is Christ and what He did on the Cross. Its value is unsurpassed. Its value is beyond our comprehension. Paul makes it very clear that it is our greatest treasure in Romans 8:32:

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

While the verse is not primarily about valuation, there is certainly that distinction that the act of the Cross is the most valuable thing and Christian can have.


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