Dr. Benjamin Mays, former President of Morehouse College said this, “The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity not to dream …It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.” Just as low aim did not afflict Dr. Mays or the Apostle Paul, it should not afflict us. Here is how the Apostle Paul expressed his primary ambition in life: He wrote in Philippians Ch 3, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” For Paul, the privilege of enjoying an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ now and serving Him in this earthly body; the prospect of the future reward awaiting him when this life is over, motivated him to endure pain and difficulty along the way. He was convinced that it will be well worth it all when we see Jesus. Today, that same ambition might well be ours as well.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
