We should value it so highly that…

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. (Matthew 13:45 KJV)

  I once read a story about an Indian pearl diver who refused to be convinced by his friend, a foreign missionary, that salvation could be as simple as accepting Jesus as his savior. He believed it should involve sacrifice and great personal cost.
 What changed his mind was when he tried to give the missionary the gift of a pearl that had cost his son his life, and he was met with an offer of purchase instead. He was offended that something that he considered priceless could be degraded to a monetary transaction.
 The missionary was then able to use this circumstance to show that just as the pearl diver could never sell the pearl for any price, so God through His Son Jesus can only offer salvation as a gift, since it cost everything to bring it to us.
 This story reminded me of the one Jesus told of a treasure hunter who found a pearl for sale that was so precious that he ended up selling all his property and possessions so he could buy that one pearl. Jesus said this is an illustration of what the kingdom of God is like to those who want to be a part. He wasn’t telling us that we have to pay for it, but rather that we should value it so highly that nothing else can possibly compare to it.
 While we can never repay the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, it’s worth taking time to think about how we can show our gratitude by loving God and others with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.  —Simon Bishop [1]

 Salvation and Christ's love is a gift. You don't earn it. You've got to receive that gift. —Joel Osteen

[1] Activated The Pearl Diver