True Treasure

"But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of the Anointed One. And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside —it’s nothing but a pile of waste— so that I may gain Him." (Philippians 3:7-8, The Voice)
 

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Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), a nobleman who forsook a life of luxury to follow Christ, wrote these words:

"Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts!
Thou fount of life! Thou light of men!
From the best bliss that earth imparts,
We turn unfulfilled to Thee again."

We've heard the saying, "one man's trash is another's treasure." In this passage from Philippians, the Apostle Paul was reversing that thought. In essence he was saying, "What I once highly valued, I now see as trash when I compare it to the value of knowing Christ."

When you are building your life on the accumulation of treasure, how much is enough? The answer is always, "Just a little more." That's why we return, in the words of Bernard, "unfulfilled from the best bliss that earth imparts."

What can you do today to refocus on the true treasure of knowing Christ?

Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.  What do you treasure most of all?