Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matt. 13:45-46)
Would you get excited if someone handed you $10,000 in cash? How about if you were offered a brand new car for free? Yeah, I’ll take it!
I noticed that a lot of our happiness comes from things of the world, perishable things. In fact, we spend much of our time and effort to gain worldly possessions.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine to enjoy some extra cash or a new car, but should we be satisfied with that? Is material gain all we want from life? Don’t you want more?
C.S. Lewis famously said, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses).
When I got my first paycheck, I felt like I finally arrived! I felt successful! I proudly deposited it into my bank account and was even excited to see it earn a few dollars of interest every month. Now hundreds of paychecks later, I see the wisdom of Lewis’ words. I’ve only been making mud pies in a slum.
God has so much more for us than mere comforts in life. We ought to pursue God like a merchant looking for fine pearls. Upon finding the one of great value, he sells everything he has to buy that one.
Sure, things in this world seem great, but they pale in comparison to life with God as the center.
Reflection Questions
- In what areas of your life are you, as C.S. Lewis said, “too easily pleased?”
- How can you be pursuing spiritual abundance instead of worldly abundance?
