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.
When one becomes earnestly and deeply desirous of growing in spiritual understanding, the hours of consecrated study and of devotion of thought to things spiritual become a privilege, not a burden or hardship. He is willing to give up the human pleasure of seeing his friends often and enjoying frequently the many cultural activities that are humanly good but can be indulged only sparingly if he is to reach his high goal. In striving for that goal, he experiences spiritual joy, health, and harmony, which so far transcend any rewards that a purely human ambition could bring that he feels wonderfully compensated. His resolve to proceed becomes more and more strongly established.
The devotion of thought to this greatest of all achievements does not preclude entertaining good human ambitions. One may desire to serve a Church of Christ, Scientist. Such a desire is a worthy one, and its fulfillment can mean spiritual growth. To resort to human methods to attain such a position, however, is to cherish ambition unwisely. What one needs to do is to prepare his thought so that he will be spiritually worthy—worthy in the sight of God —to serve.
Thought must be filled with unselfed love in order to grow in spiritual understanding. If one is entertaining a desire to glorify self, his progress will be retarded. One's entire ambition must be to glorify God, not self, if one's progress is to be rapid.
Jesus did not hesitate to declare: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30), and, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). Such statements were not understood at the time, and they are not always understood today, but through Christian Science we are learning that Jesus was referring to his true spiritual selfhood, the Christ. On the other hand, Jesus was quick to rebuke one who referred to his human personality as good, and he said, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God" (Matt. 19: 17). Again, he was referring to human selfhood when he said, "I can of mine own self do nothing" (John 5:30).
All of Jesus' teachings and works, and particularly his final and greatest demonstration of all—when he proved the unreality of death by going through the crucifixion and resurrecting his body from the grave, followed by the ascension above all beliefs of materiality—reveal clearly his deep desire, his great ambition, to mark out clearly the way of Life for the benefit of all mankind. All that he did was for the glorification of God, never for the glorification of himself.
Each one of us can follow in the pathway which is now clearly marked by Christian Science for our benefit. As Mrs. Eddy points out in Science and Health (p. 58), "Unselfish ambition, noble life-motives, and purity,—these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute individually and collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence."
Many individuals who have devoted their lives to a human occupation find themselves after retirement without a goal in life, consequently without ambition. Mothers who have concentrated thought and effort on caring for their families sometimes feel themselves unneeded and are without desire or ambition to carry on after their children have married and established homes of their own. Others who have experienced failure in their human affairs seem frustrated and lacking in ambition to go on. To all these Christian Science points out the real goal and gives them a reason for ambition that far transcends anything the world can offer. To those who are ready and willing to accept spiritual truth, Science reveals that a life of surpassing richness lies ahead. All must come to see that ambition exerted toward the attainment of purely human objectives must always be secondary to their efforts to grow in spiritual understanding.
Our inspired Leader, through her writings, is helping mankind to find and to follow in the way that reveals the marvelous blessings which God has for all of His children. We can show our gratitude for her adequately only by cherishing the absorbing ambition, the one great ambition, to follow in the Christly way to the utmost of our ability.
As a student of Christian Science, one is mightily impressed with the ambition, the great motive power, that enabled Jesus to become the Way-shower for all mankind and that enabled Mrs. Eddy to discover the Science upon which Jesus' teachings and works were founded and to establish this greatest of all movements, Christian Science. Each individual whose ambition causes him to reach for spiritual truth looks to the one source of all power, which is God.
Christian Scientists should be the most ambitious people in the world, but with ambition untainted by the world. All can be ambitious to share the life purpose of Mrs. Eddy, as she states it in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 206): "Beloved students, you have entered the path. Press patiently on; God is good, and good is the reward of all who diligently seek God." And she concludes: "As you journey, and betimes sigh for rest 'beside the still waters,' ponder this lesson of love. Learn its purpose; and in hope and faith, where heart meets heart reciprocally blest, drink with me the living waters of the spirit of my life-purpose,—to impress humanity with the genuine recognition of practical, operative Christian Science."
