People have goals in life—some have high goals, some have lesser goals. Some have goals to become rich and famous, some have goals to get married, buy a humble house and raise a family. Others have goals of single living and enjoying life to the fullest. Those who seem to have no goals in life lead a sad, empty life. Goals are important for healthy living. They give life purpose and meaning.
Some people have multiple goals. Some have only one goal and when they reach that goal, they feel they are on the summit and they relax and stop reaching for more. People have long term goals, and short term goals. Short term goals can be simply the list of duties you wish to accomplish in one day. The long term goals include your career, education, marriage, and a place to live.
Some are satisfied with very humble living and have no ambition to climb higher—they may even live on the street by choice and their main goal in life is to have food to eat for the day; nothing more—no thought for tomorrow. They have reached their summit and have no desire to climb higher. Some have a little more ambition and have only a humble place to live in and food to eat. Beyond that they live in pleasure, and also have no desire to aim higher in life.
People set earthly goals and they do succeed and prosper. Sometimes worldly people seem to reach higher summits on this earth than God’s people. This has caused distress to some Christians. “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Psalm 73:2–3. Napoleon had very high goals—to conquer the world. He set out to do just that and he was successful at an early age. He reached his summit, but after that he had no more goals and his life ended tragically. His life lost its purpose and meaning; he had nothing left to live for. He set no more goals for himself. “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places: Thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” Psalm 73:17–19
Without Christ, people do achieve their goals on this earth, they reach their summit. But, then what? Their life can still be empty even after the summit is reached. I know of a young man who was very faithful in his youth. He had a goal of graduating from university, getting a good job, getting married, and buying a house. He reached his earthly goals, but sadly, today he is not in the church. Reaching primarily for earthly goals can sometimes eclipse the heavenly goals and summits to be reached.
“An appearance of wealth or position, expensive architecture or furnishings, are not essential to the advancement of the work of God; neither are achievements that win applause from men and administer to vanity. Worldly display, however imposing, is of no value with God.” –Pastoral Ministry, p. 40
When people climb physical mountains, aiming for the summit, and they reach the top, then what? There is no where else to go but downhill. When I have been driving cross-country in North America, occasionally the road goes over mountains—some high, some low. Each one has a summit and there is often a sign at the side of the highway stating that you have reached the summit, informing you of the elevation. After the summit is reached the road leads you downhill. If it is a small mountain the summit is easily reached, higher ones are more difficult. When you have reached the summit of your life do you also begin to go downhill? Or do you set your sights on higher goals and summits? We are counselled to always aim higher. There is always a higher mountain. Some do not want to make an effort to reach the higher mountains. It is a lot of difficult, painstaking work. They are happy with their lower mountain. They try to stay on their current summit; however, unless they set their sights on higher summits, they will eventually begin to go downhill, whether physically, morally or mentally, just as did Napoleon.
If you think you have reached the summit of your spiritual life, you are mistaken. There is a higher mountain that Jesus wants you to climb. Climbing takes a lot of effort. You are either climbing upwards or you will eventually go downhill.
A LOW SUMMIT
There are many people in this life who choose not to aim very high. They are satisfied with the low level of existence that they maintain daily. They may eat, sleep, and perhaps go to work, and that is all. Many are also satisfied with the summit they have reached in their spiritual life and feel no need to aim any higher. They are good Christians, keep the Sabbath, pay their tithes and faithfully attend church. How many are constantly aiming higher—for Christlikeness? They excuse themselves, stating that God is not so strict that we need to overcome every character defect today. That would be asking an impossibility. So they remain on their low summit and aim no higher.
“Let no one say, ‘I cannot overcome my defects of character;’ for if this is your decision, then you cannot have eternal life. The impossibility is all in your will. If you will not, that constitutes the cannot. The real difficulty is the corruption of an unsanctified heart, and an unwillingness to submit to the will of God.” –Sons and Daughters of God, p.115
“There are many who think that it is impossible to escape from the power of sin, but the promise is that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. We aim too low. The mark is much higher. Our minds need expansion, that we may comprehend the significance of the provision of God. We are to reflect the highest attributes of the character of God. We should be thankful that we are not to be left to ourselves. The law of God is the exalted standard to which we are to attain.” –That I May Know Him, p. 302
Those who are satisfied with the low summit they have reached, feeling no need to aim higher, believe they are “good enough.” They are satisfied with good health, abstaining from flesh foods, but God wants them to aim higher and have excellent health by following all of the laws of health—abstaining from all unhealthy foods and following all healthful habits. All, I said, not some of the health laws. It is not easy to deny selfish, unhealthy habits. Adam and Eve fell on this point in the beginning and terrible were the results.
Some are satisfied with their current spiritual condition and appear happy. God wants them to aim for a higher summit and have a higher purpose for their lives—to help the poor, sick and needy, sharing the gospel with others. Then they will be supremely happy and contented.
Then there are those who are satisfied with reaching the summit of others—of the leaders in the church or other members, and thus aim no higher than those around them. They see the spiritual condition of some of the slothful members and then try to live as they do. However, we are told, “Do not sit down in Satan’s easy chair of do-little, but arise, and aim at the elevated standard which it is your privilege to attain. It is a blessed privilege to give up all for Christ. Look not at the lives of others and imitate them and rise no higher. You have only one true, unerring Pattern. It is safe to follow Jesus only. Determine that if others act on the principle of the spiritual sluggard you will leave them and march forward toward the elevation of Christian character. Form a character for heaven. Sleep not at your post. Deal faithfully and truly with your own soul.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 241
“Those who measure themselves by others, do as others do, and make no higher attainments, excusing themselves because of the faults and wrongs of others, are feeding on husks and will remain spiritual dwarfs as long as they gratify Satan by thus indulging their own unconsecrated feelings. Some dwell upon what they shall eat and drink, and wherewithal they shall be clothed. These thoughts flow out from the abundance of the heart, as though temporal things were the grand aim in life, the highest attainment. These persons forget the words of Christ: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 500
THE SUMMIT OF EDUCATION
Many young people have a goal of furthering their education after they finish high school. That is a worthy goal, as long as Christ is still made an important part of the education process. Many have lost their way in institutions of higher learning because there is so much time occupied with studies that the spiritual life gets put on the back burner, or they get too self-important to take care of the smaller, less important duties in life. With increased knowledge it can lead to pride and a feeling of self-importance. They rest on the summit of their education and feel themselves one step up above the less educated in society. “Let the youth be impressed with the thought that education is not to teach them how to escape life’s disagreeable tasks and heavy burdens; that its purpose is to lighten the work by teaching better methods and higher aims. Teach them that life’s true aim is not to secure the greatest possible gain for themselves, but to honor their Maker in doing their part of the world’s work, and lending a helpful hand to those weaker or more ignorant.” –Child Guidance, p. 295–296 (emphasis mine)
“Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. There is need of a broader scope, a higher aim. True education means more than the perusal of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.” –Counsels for the Church, p. 202
True education is for the purpose of being a greater blessing to others, not for self-exaltation and increased wealth. It can be a great blessing for the cause of God. The university degree is not the summit, but an aid to reach higher summits.
THE SUMMIT OF AN EARTHLY DWELLING PLACE
This is also a worthy goal. For some this is their summit. Once they own their own home, they think they have made it in life. “The gospel is a wonderful simplifier of life’s problems. Its instruction, heeded, would make plain many a perplexity and save us from many an error. It teaches us to estimate things at their true value and to give the most effort to the things of greatest worth—the things that will endure. This lesson is needed by those upon whom rests the responsibility of selecting a home. They should not allow themselves to be diverted from the highest aim. Let them remember that the home on earth is to be a symbol of and a preparation for the home in heaven. Life is a training school, from which parents and children are to be graduated to the higher school in the mansions of God. As the location for a home is sought, let this purpose direct the choice. Be not controlled by the desire for wealth, the dictates of fashion, or the customs of society. Consider what will tend most to simplicity, purity, health, and real worth.” –The Ministry of Healing, p. 363
THE SUMMIT OF MISSIONARY WORK
It should be the aim and goal of all Christians to do some sort of missionary work, either full-time, part-time or volunteer. We are all counselled to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. Jesus spoke these words to everyone. Not just the leaders of the church. Reach for the summit. Do as much as you possibly can for others, not as little as is required. “The work of the Christian laborer is not light or unimportant. He has a high vocation, from which his whole future life must take its mould and coloring. He who gives himself to so sacred a work should bend all his energies to its accomplishment. He should aim high; he will never reach a higher standard than that which he seeks to attain. He cannot diffuse light until he has first received it. He must be a learner before he can have sufficient wisdom and experience to become a teacher, able to open the Scriptures to those who are in darkness.” –Gospel Workers, p. 73
“This should be the anxiety of every worker, to reach a higher standard. We shall never graduate in this life, but should keep every power upon the stretch for more knowledge. You do not want to labor in such a spiritless way that the people will go to sleep under your words, but you want to bring earnestness and fervency into your prayers, and into your Bible readings, and into your preaching, that you may leave the impression that the sacred truths you are presenting to others are to you a living reality. Whatever you do for Jesus, seek with all your powers to do it with earnestness. Never feel that you have attained to the highest point, and can therefore rise no higher. I often feel agony of spirit as I look over the wide field, and see so few to do the missionary work and open the word of God to those who are in darkness. The very work that is essential for every one who receives the present truth, is to aim at perfection of character, and thoroughness in winning souls to Christ. Be determined that you will advance and improve in your work, and then you will be continually progressing; for those who have received this light feel that they must bring more of the Spirit of Christ into their own life and character as they advance, else they cannot bring it into the lives of others. And you can make the most of every opportunity while in conversation with your friends, to make your words a blessing to them. Set your mind to task, that you may present the truth in a manner to interest them. Seize the most interesting portions of Scripture that you can bring before them, come right to the point, and seek to fasten their attention, and instruct them in the ways of the Lord.” –The Review and Herald, July 26, 1887
“The youth can do good work in laboring to save souls. They can reach their young associates when those who are older cannot, and God holds them accountable for the use they make of the talents intrusted to them. Let those who claim to be sons and daughters of God aim at a higher standard. Let them use every faculty God has given them. Let them glorify Him by correctly representing the religion of the Bible.” –The Signs of the Times, September 11, 1884
I was impressed by the following quote, especially the last sentence. “God is well pleased if those striving for eternal life aim high. There will be strong temptations to indulge the natural traits of character by becoming worldly wise, scheming, and selfishly ambitious, gathering wealth to the neglect of the salvation which is of so much higher value. But every temptation resisted is a priceless victory gained in subduing self; it bends the powers to the service of Jesus, and increases faith, hope, patience, and forbearance. . . . Let us aim in the strength of Jesus for the crown heavy with stars.”–That I May Know Him, p. 91 (Emphasis mine). It is not a sin to aim for a crown heavy with stars “in the strength of Jesus.” Let us all make this one of our goals in life.
“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3
THE MIND OF CHRIST
A summit we all must reach is to have the mind of Christ. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16. It is commonly said that our goal in life is Christlikeness. This means that we will have overcome all sin and will be ready to meet Jesus when He comes. That is the summit we are aiming for. This is a very high goal, and not everyone understands the true meaning of this statement. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5. To have the mind of Christ means we will always do what Jesus would do, think what He would think—no exceptions or excuses.
“We should individually aim for a higher and holier standard. The mind will surely become dwarfed if it is continually occupied with earthly things. But if trained to dwell upon heavenly, eternal themes, it will be expanded, elevated, and strengthened. The mind should take hold of things unseen, and meditate thereon; then things of eternal interest will be so exalted above the earthly, that temporal affairs will sink into insignificance in comparison.” –The Review and Herald, December 23, 1884
“Be very decided in your religious service. Make the Lord Jesus your confidant. Make your aim a high one, and let your attainments be higher and higher still in the knowledge of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” –Medical Ministry, p. 34.
The knowledge of God is exhaustless. A full knowledge is a summit we will never reach. We will ever be learning more of His mysteries throughout eternity. Although, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9. If we have the mind of Christ, then, “God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:10
THE HIGHEST SUMMIT
I found the following statement very interesting. Like the Scribes and Pharisees in the days of Christ, some people’s main goal in religion is perfection in outward things. They are overly concerned and careful with the “rules”; what they should do, or should not do outwardly, to obtain salvation. Once they are “perfect” they feel they have reached the summit. While this is important, it should not be the primary goal. As we are striving for this summit, we aim for something higher. What could be higher than “perfection in outward things?” Inward perfection—thoughts, feelings, emotions and motives, through a personal relationship with Jesus. “While it is our duty to seek for perfection in outward things, it should ever be kept in mind that this aim is not to be made supreme. It must be held subordinate to higher interests. Above the seen and transitory, God values the unseen and eternal. The former is of worth only as it expresses the latter. The choicest productions of art possess no beauty that can compare with the beauty of character which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s working in the soul.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 143
“The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. It comes through the gentleness of the inspiration of His word, through the inward working of His Spirit, the fellowship of the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character of Christ.” –Ibid, p. 143
“Jesus tells us that there is something higher for our consideration and aim than what we shall eat, and what we shall drink, and what we shall wear, and that is beauty of character, that shall last as long as eternity.” –The Signs of the Times, February 15, 1892
“We profess to be the depositaries of God’s law; we claim to have greater light and to aim at a higher standard than any other people upon the earth; therefore we should show greater perfection of character and more earnest devotion. A most solemn message has been entrusted to those who have received the light of truth. Our light should shine forth to brighten the pathway of those who are in darkness. As members of the visible church, and workers in the vineyard of the Lord, all professed Christians should do their utmost to preserve peace, harmony, and love in the church. Mark the prayer of Christ: ‘That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.’” –Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, p. 143
“The echo of God’s voice comes to us, ever saying. Holier, holier still. And ever our answer is to be, Yes, Lord, holier still. Holiness is within the reach of all who reach for it by faith, not because of their good works, but because of Christ’s merits. Divine power is provided for every soul struggling for the victory over sin and Satan.” –The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 908
For those who have climbed high mountains know that when you come close to the top, there are places where it seems as if you are nearing the top, but once you get there you see that there is still a higher summit to reach and you must keep going. If you fail at the smaller mountains, you will never achieve the higher ones. You must climb the smaller ones—aim for the smaller mountains, and then you will see the summit of the next mountain to climb. Once you have reached what you think is the summit, there is another one. God has a higher mountain for you to climb. One mountain at a time. Higher and higher still; closer and closer to Jesus—reflecting His character more fully. We will finally reach the ultimate summit when Jesus comes. “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28
“Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 560–561
Today we can be perfect in Christ. As we take His hand He will lead us higher and still higher so that we can ever reach higher summits. Amen.
Wendy Eaton