The Only Life Goal That Matters

The Only Life Goal That Matters

Every Sunday morning, we sit together to listen to the teachings and sermons of two pastors we discovered after moving back to our home country. 

Pastor Roni serves at the church my sister and her family attend. His messages are enriched with historical insights into biblical times and practical applications for everyday life. Dr. Jerry is a pastor we came across while searching for a church for my oldest son after he moved out. His teachings are profound, thoughtful, and deeply encouraging.

Today, we listened to one of his sermons about the Puritans, specifically John Wall. John Wall was a seventeenth-century English pastor who wrote a book consisting of thirty-three chapters titled None but Christ, based on 1 Corinthians 2:2. In this verse, Paul tells the church in Corinth that he resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This conviction came after he had thoroughly examined what many people of his time pursued as their highest goal: human wisdom.

In this respect, little has changed. People today continue to pursue goals they believe will give their lives meaning and significance: earning advanced degrees, reading the latest books and theories, following life coaches, unlocking their potential, and seeking anything that promises greater knowledge, success, or fulfillment.

These pursuits are not inherently wrong. They can be beneficial if one believes that this earthly life is all there is. Yet they can only take us so far. It is at the cross that the weak and the foolish discover the power of God revealed in Christ. It is in Christ that true wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption are freely given to us.

Therefore, the person who sets out to know Christ as the central pursuit of life is not a fool. On the contrary, there is no greater or more worthy goal. Jesus Himself declared that eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

There is certainly value in setting smaller goals that improve our daily lives—spending less time on social media, eating healthier, volunteering in our communities, and developing good habits. But ultimately, knowing Christ should command our deepest passion, greatest effort, most valuable time, and finest resources.

In the end, it is Christ above all else.

 "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." I Corinthians 2:2