“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 14:44-46

The idea of “value” has always intrigued me.  What makes something valuable? In 2006 a family in upstate New York bought a 5 inch ceramic bowl (pictured at right) at a garage sale for $3.  After sitting on their fireplace mantle for 7 years, they had it appraised and sold it at auction for 2.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York City.  This $3 garage sale bargain turned out to be a 1,000-year-old artifact from China and highly valued by collectors.  Not a bad investment- $3 to over 2 million in seven years! What was basically worthless to one person was incredibly valuable to another.

What makes gold so valuable?  Sure, it’s relatively rare, looks beautiful, doesn’t corrode and has many useful properties, but why is it currently trading at $1,700 an ounce? Is it really worth all that?  On a practical level, gold does little to enhance life. You can’t eat it or drink it… it just sits there in a vault or safe, unused and unseen. And yet economies are built around it, kingdoms have risen and fallen, and civilizations been looted and pillaged based on the perceived or assigned value of this metal.

So, what makes something valuable?  Part of it is its usefulness, but there’s more to it than that. Here’s the dictionary definition of “value”

val·ue /ˈvalyo͞o/ the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

The regard that something is held to deserve…. A big part of value is what we believe something is worth and the importance we place on it. That’s why a pack of 3M N95 masks used to be $15 at Lowes and is now selling online for $199.95.  The perceived value or importance has gone through the roof.

What value do you place on the things of God? Do you believe that eternal and unseen things are valuable and important?  Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is worth more than anything on this earth. It is so valuable that it’s worth sacrificing anything to gain it.  Like a hidden treasure or a one-of-a-kind pearl, our relationship with God is priceless. Nothing else even comes close.

So, this week as you sit down with your Bible, or take a moment to pray; as you tune into an online bible study or worship service or engage in personal time with God, remember that knowing and sharing Jesus is the most valuable investment of your time and energy.

Paul said,

I once thought these things (the things of the world) were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:7-8 NLT

What is valuable or important to you?  Where do you invest most of your time and effort? Let’s not get distracted by the trappings and trinkets of this world.  We have something far more valuable and lasting- our relationship with God.

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17