What are you living for in your few fleeting years here on this earth? Anything other than fame, wealth, or influence?

When Thomas Naylor was teaching business management at Duke University, he asked his students to draft a personal strategic plan. He reports that “with few exceptions, what they wanted fell into three categories: money, power, and things—very big things, including vacation homes, expensive foreign automobiles, yachts, and even airplanes.” This was their request of the faculty: “Teach me how to be a money-making machine.”

That’s not exactly an exalted ambition! No thought of humanitarian service, and no thought of spiritual values! Yet, what those students wanted was what many people want—maybe what most people want.

The apostle Paul’s overriding ambition was totally different. His consuming desire was to know Jesus and become increasingly conformed to His holy example (Phil. 3:10). He wanted to serve Him by proclaiming the life-changing good news of God’s grace.

What is our highest goal? Do we want to be a money-making machine, which can never buy lasting happiness? Or do we want to become more like Jesus?

  — Vernon C. Grounds