A Priceless Possession

Recently we have been going through our "stuff" in order to
prepare for a yard sale (garage sale). It's amazing what
things you keep because you believe they have some value,
only later in life to discard them. We attach some sort of
value, either because of a relationship (family or friend)
or some emotional activity (we cried or laughed together).

These "things" represent a part of our lives. They are like
bookmarks partitioning the pages of our lives. A picture
here, a baseball there, a scribbled note, a pin, a bottle
or even a hair brush. Each represents a feeling that takes
us back to another time and place. As we get older, some of
those "things" no longer have value and we get rid of them,
or sell them. To others, it may be just a baseball: old and
decaying. Is it really worth a quarter? To you, it was that
first base hit and takes you back to days of innocence.

The value of these things is negotiable. If you'd ever been
at a yard sale, you know the buyer is always trying to get
the price down. As the day wears on, you lower the price in
hopes of getting rid of the items. What once had a great
value, is now to be placed in a box for the next yard sale.

But some things have a value far exceeding that which we can
determine. Jesus said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he
gain the whole world, and lose his soul?" (Mark 8:36). You may
find a gem of a cup or saucer at a yard sale, or even a French
vase. However, how does that compare to your soul? The value of
the china or vase can change dramatically depending on the
market, but the cost for a man's soul never changes: Christ
died on the cross to secure our souls. We can have all the
bargains in the world but they will never equal the value of one
soul: our own. We can spend every Saturday searching yard sales
throughout the state and find some great buys, but if we have
neglected to spend time with God and secure our Souls, then we
have lost everything. 

Jesus simply said there is nothing of profit in the material
things we gather and everything to gain from our spiritual
life. We can lose those "things" and still have a good life.
However, you cannot lose your soul and have ANY life! [JW]