You need to shift from the pursuit of personal success to a focus on contribution to the advancement of your world. A desire to make a better future for yourself is not bad or even selfish. However, you have to realize that every world must balance the takers and givers in the system. The takers use the collective resources for their own personal betterment without giving any thought to sustainability of their world. The givers sacrifice their personal ambition and short-term profit for collective good. No society can enjoy long lasting peace and prosperity if the takers outnumber the givers.
Jesus beckons on you to act with a mindset of taking responsibility for the betterment of your world. Serving as the light of your world requires a shift in mindset and motive. You take your place amongst the givers and are no longer content to take. It is very important to understand that the benefits you enjoy from society today is from the labor of “givers” in times past. They labored to build a world driven by justice, compassion and living with integrity. It is a rich legacy, and now, it is your turn to shine your light and place contributing to society ahead of your personal success.
At the end of it all, you have to focus on what really matters. You will not be celebrated for all the riches you amassed, but for impact, legacy and contributions to the larger society. Names like Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Mary Slessor and Alexander Fleming all ring a bell because of how their good works made the world a better place than they met it. In practical terms, you might feel a need to amass some riches first, and then transition towards contribution. However, this commandment to be a salt and light of the world requires thoughtfulness.
