Our Common Goal
“What is your life goal?” : The question my now fiance Matthew asked me on our second date four years ago. I remember being a little intimidated, dare I say I even panicked for a moment. That’s a big conversation to have over a casual pizza date! It’s one of those questions you want to answer thoughtfully and honestly, a question you want to make sure you answer “correctly,” especially with someone you are just getting to know. My mind immediately started to race: “Okay, so what are my career goals?” I frantically asked myself. “ What’s my dream job? What’s on my bucket list again?” All these things passed through as I tried to conjure up a possible response. Isn’t it crazy how so many thoughts can go through your head in just a few short moments? Thankfully, I stopped myself and remembered that my response did not have to be complicated. I quieted my thoughts and knew I had a decision to make at that moment: Do I answer the question superficially or do I choose to share my heart with him? After a quick pause, I remember looking at him and saying “I want to bring people to Christ.” I’ll never forget his reaction. He looked at me a little surprised. I could tell that he wasn’t expecting a response like I had given, but he definitely wasn’t disappointed with it. He was delighted. That night we ended up having a deeper conversation about our shared faith and vocations. Throughout the entirety of our relationship thus far, that conversation always stayed with me. I never had a guy be interested in my faith as not just a “part” of who I was, but what defined my whole life and being. Not only was he open to listening, but he shared in that dream and “life goal.”
There’s another reason this moment has always stayed with me—it echoes our common vocation as Christians. Sometimes we get so caught up on this “life goal'' question. If someone were to go up to you right now and ask, “What is your life goal?” What would you say? For some, this question makes them feel that they need to have it all figured out. Maybe you are someone who feels like they don’t know if you even have an answer to this question. To those of you I want to say: no matter where you are in discerning or discovering your vocation, there is one vocation that always remains: You are called to bring people to Christ. It doesn’t matter where you work or where you go to school—whether you know what your passions are or not. You don’t need to be in your “dream job” or your “dream school” to fulfill this goal and you certainly don’t need to be a theology major to share Christ. God wants to work through you in the here and now, in the present moment, no matter where you are. He wants you to bring His light to the people around you, whether that be going to a Bible study or going to the grocery store. The way you carry yourself, the way you interact with others, the way you live your life in the everyday and mundane moments is called to shine a light on the goodness and peace of Christ.
C.S. Lewis once said, “The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ.” He goes on to say that, “If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.” We mustn't forget that the phrase “the Church” does not only reference the institution. Ultimately, “the Church” is the people of God and it is this wondrous and urgent responsibility to “proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mark 16:15) that has been entrusted upon the Church since its inception. It is the defining mission of a professed Christian. John Paul II said, “The whole Church...lives constantly in a state of mission” and “to be Christians means to be missionaries, to be apostles.” This is not a mission reserved for clergymen and religious, this is a mission for you. You have a unique way of sharing Christ in the world. You have been commissioned for a time like this to carry Christ’s light to the people around you. All that you do, all that you seek to achieve has one common purpose: to bring glory to God.
Imagine the Blessed Mother being asked “What is your life goal?” How do you think she would have responded? I suspect she would have said it was to bring people to her Son and Savior. Her whole life and story pointed to Christ. The last words we hear from her in Scripture are “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). She is our greatest example of how our lives are meant to call people home to Jesus.
So, next time you’re asked, “What is your life goal?” don’t hesitate if you feel like you don’t have it all figured out. As a child of God, you are never without mission or purpose. God walks with you every single day, so if you are walking with Him you are where God wants you to be. If you have Christ you have everything you need. Too often we think that our life goal needs to be the fulfillment of some big career goals or bucket list events. But, our vocation to share Christ is not dependent on whether or not we have achieved/realized those things. Yes, our passions and vocations are meant to glorify God in a profound and unique way, but our ability to share Christ is not reserved for only those things either. God has entrusted his children with a great inheritance and ever-present mission that permeates our everyday life and every interaction we have. Every moment has purpose.
Now, rewind back to the second date with my now fiance: I received a text from him later that night after our date telling me that he enjoyed our time together. Then he added the following message: “I think your life goal is really cool btw :)” Might sound cheesy, but surround yourself with people who will think your love for Christ is “cool” because, frankly, it is. Choose to be with the person that shares in your faith, not just tolerates it. Despite what the world wants to tell you, sharing your love for Christ by your life is the coolest, most fulfilling thing you can do. It’s what you were made for. Make it the goal of your life, Jesus already has.
P.S. If nobody has told you yet, I will: I think your desire to bring people to Christ is really cool :)