Becoming a Disciple - Week 2, Day 2

Pearls (What Matters Most)

A little girl waited with her mother at the checkout stand when she saw a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. “Oh, please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?”
Her mother checked the back of the little foil box and said, “Cindy, these pearls cost $1.95. If you really want them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you to do and raise your allowance. It won’t take long for you to save enough money to buy them yourself.”

Her mother was right. After only two weeks, Cindy had enough money saved for the pearls. Her mother took her back to the store, where Cindy proudly counted out her money to the cashier.

She loved her pearls. She wore them everywhere.

Cindy also had a very loving father. Every night when she was ready for bed, her dad would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he said to Cindy, “I love you, sweetheart. Do you love me?”

“Oh, yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.” Then her father would say, “Then give me your pearls.”

Cindy was confused. “Oh, Daddy, not my pearls, but you can have the white horse from my collection. She’s my favorite.”

Cindy’s dad would say, “That’s okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And he would give her a kiss.

About a week later, after storytime, Cindy’s father said once again, “I sure do love you, sweetheart. Do you love me?” “Daddy, you know I love you.” “Then give me your pearls.” Cindy said, “Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. You can have my baby doll. She is so beautiful.” Cindy’s dad looked at her and said, “That’s okay. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And then he gave her a kiss.

A few nights later, when her father came in, Cindy was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling, and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

“What is it, Cindy? What’s the matter?”

Cindy didn’t say anything but lifted her little hand up to her dad. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, “Here, Daddy, it’s for you.”

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Cindy’s dad reached out with one hand to take the necklace. With the other hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case and gave it to Cindy. When she opened it, she found a beautiful strand of real pearls.

All along, Cindy’s dad had something better for her, but she had to let go of what she thought was so important and grab hold of what really mattered in life.

So many people hold onto a cheap dime-store pearl kind of life. They constantly live in fear of what others will think of them or what others might say about them. They try everything they can to fit in with everyone and give no thought to the kind of life that God has for them to live. People who live like that are miserable.

What are you holding onto today that you think is more important than a deep intimate relationship with Jesus? Who are you really living your life for? Are you living it for God or for someone or something else?

God has the real-life, ready for you, in his hands. He is offering it to you today—a life of meaning and purpose. The kind of life that God offers is a life of impact, a life that counts, a life that matters.

What kind of cheap, dime-store life are you holding onto? Our Heavenly Father offers us abundant life. Don’t walk away from Jesus. Walk towards Him and let Him show you how to live a life of meaning and purpose.

Time Out:
Read Mark 10:17-31 and answer the following.
What was the question the rich young man was looking for an answer to?

Why do you think Jesus told him to sell everything he had and to give it to the poor? (Hint: The most important thing in this man’s life was his money. He counted more on the almighty dollar than he did on the almighty God. Jesus wanted to see if he would put God ahead of his money.)

What did the rich young ruler do?

Jesus wants to be the most important thing in your life. He wants to be more important to you than money, popularity, possessions, people’s opinions, anything. Jesus is the treasure. Are you holding onto some dime-store pearl necklace kind of life, or are you trusting Jesus to give you a life that matters and a life that counts?