Dave spoke this morning from Matt 13:44-46, two stories told by Jesus about people finding things. One was found by accident and one found as a result of searching, but to those who found, there was nothing quite like what they found. The kingdom of heaven, Jesus said, is like that: invaluable and precious.
There is a difference between finding and possessing, and it can cost everything sometimes to find true treasure. We need to recognise the true value of spiritual things (Is 55:1-2); salvation is free, but it cost Jesus everything, and it does cost us too in the sense that we must leave all behind to follow Jesus. The best will always require sacrifice to possess. The man in the parable was willing to sell everything to buy the pearl of great price; joy is the fuel of sacrifice, and its enabling factor.
To possess what is eternal and valuable, we have to live free from distraction, live in close fellowship with God (it’s hard to love someone we don’t know!) and have to make a clean break from all things that would distract us from the truly valuable. There are sacrifices involved in the Christian life: is it worth it?