MRS. EDDY says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 281): "I learned long ago that the world could neither deprive me of something nor give me anything, and I have now one ambition and one joy. But if one cherishes ambition unwisely, one will be chastened for it."
Ambition is a very desirable quality when related to unselfish motives and worthy objectives. There can be little human progress without it. During his forty days in the wilderness Christ Jesus gave us an outstanding example of one who was severely tempted but was not in the least deflected from his righteous ambition. Because his thinking was so firmly based on divine Principle, he stands out as the Way-shower for all mankind for all time.
Deep in the consciousness of every individual there is something that responds to spiritual truth. Because each one is in reality the image and likeness—the expression or reflection—of God, he has the ability to understand spiritual truth and to demonstrate it in his daily experience. When one awakes to the realization of this fact, he is ready to express the ambition to dedicate his time and effort to that greatest of all objectives—growth in spiritual understanding.
