“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)
Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a very valuable pearl. A merchant who finds it, sacrifices everything to get this one supreme pearl. Once he has seen this pearl, everything else pales in comparison.
The apostle Paul is a great example here. He had a lot to boast about, being a blameless and zealous Jew who had kept all of God’s commandments. But, he says, once he got to know Jesus Christ, he understood that these things had no real value. “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord“ (Philippians 3:8). Paul “suffered the loss of all things“, he faced poverty and persecution and had to travel a lot (long before planes and comfortable cars had been invented…). But he is absolutely sure this is worth it, since it is preparing him for “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Which “pearl of great value” are you searching for? What is the most important thing in your life that surpasses everything else? If it is something on earth, you can‘t take it with you when you die. But if your treasure is in heaven, it will last forever.