Target Practice
By Grant Gaines
In the 2004 Summer Olympics, US gunmen Matt Emmons was going into his third and final shot in the three-shot event with sole possession of first place. To retain the gold, Emmons only needed to get a score of an 8.0 on his final shot (any score below an 8.0 is considered an amateur score). So Matt sized up his target, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.
As Matt waited for the official score of his final shot, images of gold medals danced through his head. He knew he had nailed the bull’s-eye, he knew he had earned the gold. However, what Matt Emmons heard next left himself and the whole world reeling in shock. Rather than receiving a gold-clinching score, Matt Emmons received a score of a 0.0.
Apparently in his nervous excitement, rather than aiming at the target directly in front of him, Matt aimed at the target slightly to the right of his intended goal. Because of this error, Matt dropped from first to eighth place. From the hero to zero.
As unfortunate as that story is, I would argue that we as Christians have a tendency to shoot at the wrong target as well. We take our eyes off the target God has set up for us (sharing the Gospel, discipling others, doing good works, worshiping Him, etc.) in favor of aiming at our own targets (“our” schedules, “our” time, “our” money, “our” etc.). Does anyone else have a tendency to do this?
Well, the Bible is certainly littered with examples of men and women who did so – Adam and Eve in the Garden, David with Bathsheba, Solomon and his 1,000 wives/concubines, the pre-converted Christian-killing Saul just to name a few. And while we could undoubtedly look at any of those stories as examples of what not to do (taking our eyes off God’s target in favor of our own), I want to look at the story of a certain self-seeker who had it all – he was young, he was rich, and he was even a ruler. Yep, you guessed it, it’s the story of the Rich Young Ruler found in Matthew 19:16-22.
The story begins with the rich young ruler asking Jesus a question that everyone who has ever lived has asked themselves at one point or another, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16, ESV).
The problem with the man’s question, of course, is that we don’t do good deeds to earn eternal life – it’s a free gift that God offers to every one of us (Ephesians 2:8-9). But Jesus, playing along with the man’s question, lists off six of the Ten Commandments (Matthew 19:18-19).
“The young man said to [Jesus], ‘All these I have kept. What do I still lack?’” (Matthew 19:20, ESV). That’s a fascinating response right there. The young man claims to have kept all of the commands (which he certainly had not – Romans 3:23) and yet even he recognizes that something’s not right, something is missing.
So what is it that the man was missing? Jesus reveals it in His reply when He says, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21, NIV). Jesus is not saying that the secret to eternal life is to be homeless or poor, Jesus simply knew that the man was possessed by his possessions. The young man was aiming at the wrong target. So in Jesus’s response, He asked the young ruler to readjust his focus, “But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions” (Matthew 19:22, NLT).
What’s interesting is that the young man kept “his” money, “his” friends, “his” life, and “his” public status and yet walked away sad. And do you know why he walked away sad? Because he mistakenly thought that life was about “him” rather than “Him” (Jesus). The young man thought that the comforts of this world would satisfy his soul more than the Comforter of our souls (John 15:26).
But before we begin to get too critical of the young lad, let’s look at our lives. Are you trying to find satisfaction by aiming at your own target rather than God’s? Are you assuming that the creation will satisfy you more than the Creator? That the blessing will be sweeter than the Blesser? I, and more importantly God’s infallible Word, can assure you that that’s not the case.
So how do we receive this “abundant life” that Jesus promises His followers in John 10:10? Well, it’s certainly not found through self-gratification but rather through self-denial. True life is not found in an accumulation of things or personal accomplishments but being able to truly say, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20, ESV). It’s found through having the mindset that, “[God] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). That’s where true life is found.
Are you living in that abundance of life? Are you willing to wake up early, stay up late, give a few extra dollars, lend a helping hand or a compassionate ear for the sake of God’s kingdom? If not, the Bible would argue that you’re aiming at the wrong target – your own.
But here’s the good news, with a willing heart and, “…through the sanctifying work of the Spirit…” (2 Thessalonians 2:13, NIV) you can readjust your focus onto God’s target and truly live life! After all, as Jesus said it in Matthew 16:25-26 (ESV), “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul…?”
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
