I Count It All As Loss

English 101 got out early today, so I might as well blog!
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I've been teaching a Bible study class off of David Platt's book Radical. We're only on week two, but so far I've already been blessed just by being able to slow down and take a good long look at what real Christianity should be.
In Chapter One, he talks about the story from Matthew 13: 44-46. God has given me a new love and new wonder at this passage. So, here's the story.
A man walks out into a field. He's not doing anything important, just minding his own business. He isn't out searching; he's just there.
And he finds something.
Something beautiful sparkles up at him, just peeking through the grass and dirt.
The man gets down on his hands and knees.
What is this thing?
He begins to dig with his hands, trying to uncover the strange, beautiful item hidden in the dirt.
After a while, he sits back. His heart rams against the inside of his chest.
It is a pearl.
A massive, beautiful pearl, worth more than anything else he owns.
A pearl unlike anything he's ever seen.
Hastily he throws the dirt back over it, his mind racing with excitement. I must have this pearl.
He covers it completely before, with one last glance and the spot it is hidden, he runs back to town.
Over the next few weeks, he sells everything he owns. His house, his lands, his family treasures.
He sells them all with joy.
The community is shocked at the smile on his face as he signs off the very land he lives on.
"He's a madman! He's crazy!"
But the man keeps on smiling.
because everything he sold is loss compared to the great pearl in the field he is going to buy.
Everything else pales in comparison to the value of the pearl.

Thus is the kingdom of God.
We can lose everything on this earth, or homes, our families, our friends, our lives.
Because they are nothing compared to the all surpassing worth of Christ Jesus.
Compared to the kingdom of Heaven, all our treasures are but rags. They are all loss.
We gladly lose it all because Christ is better. We choose Him.
All is loss compared to Him.