On May 29, 1925, Percy Fawcett sent a final letter to his wife before he ventured deeper into the unmapped jungles of Brazil. He was seeking a fabled lost city of great splendor, determined to be the first explorer to share its location with the world after years of searching. But his team of explorers got lost, the city was never found, and many expeditions failed to recover either.
Percy’s courage and passion, while admirable, was squandered on a lost city that could never be reached. If we’re honest, there are many unreachable goals in our lives that hold a similar power over us. But there is a real treasure for each person that’s worth seeking with all of our heart, mind, and strength.
In his letter to believers in Philippi, Paul put it this way: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Unlike a fabled city—yielding riches, fame, or power—knowing Jesus and believing in Him is a treasure without equal. Worldly goals of power or status, or even the appearance of righteousness through keeping the law, are nothing compared to knowing Jesus (vv. 6-7). Are we spending our time and energy on something that can never satisfy? May Christ help us check what “city” we’re seeking.
What treasure are you seeking today? How does meditating on the worth of knowing Jesus help rightly align your priorities?
Thank You, Jesus, that I don’t have to strive for something that can never satisfy. I have the treasure of knowing You.
Paul was tutored by Gamaliel, a leading authority of Judaism (Acts 5:34), and “carefully trained in [the] Jewish laws and customs” (22:3 nlt). He was a Pharisee par excellence, whose knowledge of religious learning was unrivaled among his peers (Philippians 3:4-6). Yet he considered “everything else . . . worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus” (v. 8 nlt). Because knowing Jesus is the key to living a life of faith in Him, the apostle made it his life goal “to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead” (v. 10 nlt). When we’re tempted to seek satisfaction in earthly things, we can remember that to experience life fully is simply to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).
