Philippians 3:8 “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.”
Only that which is eternal has any real value. Who is the only source of eternal life? Jesus. God has written eternity in the hearts of man. We all want to live forever; it’s programmed into us. The Apostle Peter declares in Acts 4:12 that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life. He is beyond priceless.
Look at the people around you. They are priceless. Why? Because they are eternal. We are so easily distracted by the cares of this world that the life of Christ is hindered in us. When we refocus and purpose in our hearts to make the time to really get to know Jesus, then we begin to see how much He values people, and we start to see others in light of eternity. It is our own shortsightedness and selfishness that keeps us from sharing the gospel. Shouldn’t we rather gather souls instead of stuff? When we die, how much of our stuff do we leave behind? All of it! What do we get to take with us? All of the efforts and resources that we have invested in the souls of the people around us.
There have been several recent incidents of strangers risking their own lives to save others in grave danger. What is the biggest threat to people? Dying in sin apart from faith in Jesus. When Paul was stoned and left for dead, he was given a glimpse of heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-10). He knew what was ahead for believers, and also he knew what was ahead for all of those who rejected Jesus. This motivated him to proclaim the gospel even when the consequence of doing so was imprisonment and matyrdom.
What do you want out of this life? Lots of stuff or lots of souls? Seek to know Jesus more intimately each day, and He will teach you about all that is truly priceless!