Sometimes it seems that everybody wants to be a somebody, and they usually end up being a nobody. They are obsessed with climbing the ladder of success, and don’t realize until it’s too late that their ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. They invest their lives in things that don’t pay-off. Well meaning parents often tell their kids, “You can be anything you want to be if you try hard enough” (Like “The little train that could”). They challenge their children to “Make something out of yourself, be a success, follow your dreams”. However, dreaming big and reaching for the stars doesn’t mean your focus is in the right place. Your dream just might turn out to be a nightmare. That life style might sound exciting and might even inspire you to give it your best shot, but that doesn’t mean you will hit the target. Do you even know what the target is? Do you know why you exist? Well, contrary to what many think, it’s not to realize your dreams, achieve your goals, please your flesh, or to get what you want.
Our target, our purpose is to glorify God— nothing more and nothing less. And we accomplish this through loving obedience to God’s will. It is in this that we find our greatest joy and deepest satisfaction– not in living the life-style of the rich and famous. Like Jesus, our “meat is to do the will” of our Father (John 4:34). Absolutely nothing else can satisfy the longing of our soul.
As Christians we find our satisfaction in God Himself, not in what He gives or the world offers. Our happiness comes from knowing we have done the will of God. We are pleased by knowing we have pleased Him. You don’t have to have your name in lights, be in the Hall of Fame, or in Who’s Who, etc. to be a success. Success isn’t based on winning the applause of others, attaining great wealth, or even achieving a sense of satisfaction for what you’ve done.Neither we nor others are the judge. Our purpose has been clearly defined and loudly declared by the Lord— “do all to the glory of God”( 1 Cor. 10:31). Only those who discover and do the will of God hit the target—everything else is a miss. Think about it!
