Your Most Prized Possession

I once took a marketing class in college where we had to do a presentation on our most prized possession. We were to choose one item in our life, whether it was a car, family heirloom, or ring that was most special to us, and present a series of bullet points on it. When I heard about the assignment on the first day, I immediately started racking my brain. What do I prize the most? I thought of my Bible, my journals, and a few other small things, but nothing felt that special. Even my Bible was only special because of the wisdom and power in it, not the physical book I owned. Sure, I own some things I find valuable, but nothing so valuable that I couldn’t just buy another one. I found myself at a standstill, and especially after watching a dozen of these presentations unfold over the course of the semester, I was even more lost. So I chose my water bottle. I chose my water bottle because it came from Montana, where I had spent a year of my life in Bible college and in the wilderness with no cell service. The logo of our school is plastered on it, and although it has some significance, it is still a typical Nalgene water bottle. It was simply the best I could come up with. As I shared this with some friends, it quickly became a running joke when I pulled it out that I was using my most prized possession. I presented my water bottle to the class with full enthusiasm. I told them that it wasn’t the water bottle that was special, it was what it represented. It represented the biggest changes in my life and the most impactful year of my life. But in the end, I answered a question that we all needed to answer in our presentation: could you give up your most prized possession? If you were offered enough money for it, would you sell it? I answered yes, and I took it a step further. I said that I could give up any of my possessions because while it might hurt to lose some items, they are all temporary. One day I’ll be gone and they are just possessions. It was intriguing to then have my professor repeat the question to me at the end: you would give up your water bottle? Is it that prized to you then? I said yes again. I would absolutely give it up, and reiterated that I’d give up anything I own. He had trouble understanding, but I hoped and prayed that it would sink into him. Because what I was trying to convey without directly stating it was the biblical concept that life is temporary, and what matters most is eternal. Isn’t this what Jesus meant when he said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21).

Set your treasures in heaven. For every possession and piece of your wealth will pass away, and all that is left will be eternal. Cling to the essential things by holding on to the hope we have in Jesus Christ. What we have in him is more valuable than any possession or wealth we can accumulate through our time here on earth. Christ is our most prized possession.