Jenny was a bouncy five-year old, waiting with her mother at the checkout. She saw a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. “Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them?” The mother checked the back of the box, $1.95. “They are almost $2.00. I will think of some extra chores for you to do, and you can save your money to buy them yourself.”

Jenny checked her bank and counted 17 pennies. She began immediately to do extra chores, even asking neighbors for things to do. On her birthday, her grandmother gave her a dollar. At last she had enough money to buy the pearls.

Jenny wore her pearls everywhere. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath.

One night, when Jenny’s daddy finished reading her bedtime story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?” “Oh yes, daddy”, she said. “Then give me your pearls”. “Oh, Daddy, not my pearls.” Jenney offered him several of her toys, but her daddy just said, “Daddy loves you. Sleep well.”

Jenny and her daddy had this same conversation on several occasions, but Jenny could not give up her pearls. Finally, one night when Daddy came in to read to Jenny, she sat on her bed with tears in her eyes. She handed him her pearls. Daddy took the pearls from Jenny with one hand and pulled out a blue velvet case from his pocket. Inside the box was a strand of genuine pearls. He was just waiting for her to give up the cheap pearls so he could give her a genuine treasure.

This is a shortened version of a sweet story I found several years ago. I have been unable to track down the author, but I have used it many times in teaching.

To me, this story reflects much of what our lives are like as we live on this earth. We are like Jenny. We hold on to possessions we think bring us happiness. God is waiting for us to give up our comfortable existence for something far greater than we can imagine—a home in heaven.

I think immediately of the apostle Paul when I think someone who gave up everything for the promise of heaven. Let’s look at the life of Paul before and after his conversion.

• First, Saul (before God changed his name) was a witness to the death of the first Christian martyr. “And Saul approved of his (Stephen’s) And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1 ESV).

• Second, Saul persecuted Christians. “But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3).

• Third, Saul had connections with powerful men. “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).

• Fourth, Paul was a Roman citizen. “So the tribune came and said to him, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ And he said, ‘Yes’” (Acts 22:27).

• Fifth, Paul was taught by Gamaliel, a teacher held in high esteem by the Jews. Under him, Paul was taught the law. “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day” (Acts 22:3).

• Sixth, Paul was a Pharisee, a position of importance among the Jews. “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees” (Acts 23:6).

So here was a man of great importance. He was born into an important family, educated by the best teacher of his time, became a friend of rulers, and held a position where he could decide the fate of his fellowman.

Paul gave all this up for a greater treasure. In Acts 9, Saul submitted to a higher power, was baptized, and preached the gospel. “And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God’” (Acts 9:20). 

He healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and stood before kings and emperors to proclaim the Jesus was the Son of God. He gave up every earthly treasure for a greater treasure.

In the end, Paul proclaimed, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (Second Timothy 4:7-8).  

Earthly wealth will mean nothing if we don’t make it to heaven. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul” (Matthew 8:36). 

Sandra Oliver