'Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ' Philippians 3:8

Remember those dreams you had when you were a kid? What did you dream of doing and being? Maybe you dreamed of a perfect marriage and saw yourself riding off on a white horse behind Prince Charming so that you could raise your perfect little princes and princesses. Maybe you saw yourself as CEO of a company leading others to success. Whatever your dreams were, I’ll be those things seem a little silly right now. Our young minds did not have enough experience to envision dreams grounded in reality, right?

When I was a high school student, drama was my dream. I loved the theater and everything about it. I bought books about acting and delighted in trips to Broadway. I couldn’t wait to watch the Tony Awards or Oscars on TV, and imagined what I might say if I had the opportunity to receive one of those coveted trophies. I followed my dream of drama as a theater major in college, but college is also where I made my commitment to Christ. By the time I graduated from college, the idea of moving to New York City to try to make it big on Broadway had lost it’s appeal. I thought about the compromises to my new faith that I might be tempted to make just to get ahead. The dream had lost it’s luster. 

What happened? What had been worth all the time, effort and energy of my teenage years lost its value when compared with the treasure I had found in Christ. What about you, Dear Friend? What dreams have you left behind for the sake of Christ? Are there any you are still holding onto? Maybe it’s time to remember and to reevaluate.

Knowing Christ is the most valuable treasure. After I surrendered my life to Christ my junior year of college, I began to take steps to develop my relationship with Him. I learned to read and study the Bible. I found a dynamic church and college fellowship to attend. I made new friends who were whole-heartedly committed to Christ. As I began to develop my relationship with Jesus, the idea of pretending to be someone else for a living didn’t excite me any more. I had never wanted to simply entertain. I had envisioned playing dramatic roles that would inspire people. Now, my greatest desire became to inspire people to know Christ, although I couldn’t articulate it at the time. I left my dream of drama fame on my college campus at graduation. Following Jesus was my new dream. 

Knowing Christ requires my whole heart. As pursuing Christ became my greatest treasure there were things I needed to rearrange in my heart. Gaining more of Christ required making less room for other things. In order to gain Christ there were things I needed to leave behind. I needed to make space in my life for God’s dreams for me. As a college graduate with a degree in Dramatic Arts and Vocal Performance, I had no idea what those God-dreams were! But by leaving my theatrical ambitions behind, I made room for Him to show me. And, over time — LOTS of time — He did. His dream for me unfolded piece by piece, decision by decision, circumstance by circumstance. At every juncture, I needed to ask myself what I wanted most. What did I want most? To follow Jesus whole-heartedly, to gain Christ. That was worth leaving lesser dreams behind. 

Knowing Christ is the dream above all dreams.  As a baby believer, something miraculous happened in my life. The kaleidoscope of drama dreams merged into one focused ambition of knowing Christ. Everything that I had fantasized about accomplishing faded into focus. Knowing and following Jesus became all that mattered. I stopped dreaming of fame and trophies. I stopped craving the challenges of dramatic characters to portray and began desiring the challenge of developing Christ-like character in my life. I never imagined that my dramatic dreams would be replaced with Christ. I would not have thought it possible. But when I value Christ my perspective on worth changes. It changed then and as I continue to keep that focus, even after so many years, that perspective continues to shift.

Dear One, my perspective has continued to adjust at every stage of my life. It has been more than forty years since I first began to know Christ. My life has taken a totally different trajectory because of my commitment to know Him. I wouldn’t trade that. I wouldn’t go back to any other dream. Now, my greatest treasure is to know Christ and make Him known. My whole heart is set on fulfilling His purpose for me. My dream is to know Him more and help others know Him more. My life has been full of a satisfaction I never would have thought possible. I have had to leave dreams along the way, but I don’t regret any of them. 

Dear Friend, I want that for you. You may know Christ, but has He become your most valuable treasure? Perhaps those younger dreams still cast a shadow on your current condition. Perhaps your heart still yearns for what you once envisioned for your life. Jesus is worth your whole heart. You will discover the more you long for as you surrender those old dreams and make knowing Christ the dream above all dreams in your life. He is worth all of it. He really is. 

Key Thought: Christ is worth everything I am. 

A Scripture to Consider: 'Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ' Philippians 3:8

A YES Challenge: What dreams did you lay down for the sake of Christ? Are there any you are still holding on to? Take time to thank Jesus for what He has done in your life in the place of those dreams. Allow the Holy Spirit to show you any dreams that need to be laid aside so that you can take hold of the dreams that God has for you. 

Prayer: Jesus, You are worth everything! Thank You for taking the dreams I have surrendered to You and making them into a beautiful life that I never imagined. Even now, as I consider my future, help me to lay aside my idea of what my life should be. Help me to take hold of Your dream for my life. That is where I will find satisfaction, fulfillment and joy. Amen.