“The secret of survival is wrapped up in the supreme human desire to be Godlike and in the associated willingness to do and be any and all things which are essential to the final attainment of that overmastering desire.” 110:3.2 (1205.6)
We often think of survival in terms of protecting what we already have: our health, our possessions, our relationships, our careers, our security. But this teaching points toward something deeper. The soul's greatest survival instinct is not simply the desire to continue existing—it is the desire to become something greater. There is within us a longing to become more loving, more truthful, more compassionate, more courageous, and more aligned with the divine.
And that desire becomes meaningful only when it begins influencing our choices. Wanting to become a better person is easy. Becoming one requires us to do things differently. Sometimes it means choosing patience when impatience would be easier. Telling the truth when a convenient excuse would protect us. Forgiving when resentment feels justified. Serving when nobody will notice. Changing an attitude we've defended for years. Spiritual growth asks us not only what we want to become, but what we are willing to change in order to become it.
This doesn't mean becoming perfect overnight. The journey is evolutionary. There will be setbacks, contradictions, and moments when our actions fall short of our ideals. What matters is the direction. When we sincerely desire to become more Godlike, even our failures can become part of the journey if we allow them to teach us. The important question after a difficult moment isn't simply “Why did I fail?” but “What can this experience teach me about the person I am becoming?”
This perspective can transform even ordinary decisions. Before reacting, we can ask, What would love do here? Before making a difficult choice, What is the most truthful response? When someone disappoints us, Can I respond with understanding rather than retaliation? These questions may seem small, but repeated over a lifetime, they shape character. The destiny of the soul is built through countless ordinary choices.
Perhaps the deepest challenge is that we cannot genuinely desire Godlikeness while remaining completely unwilling to change. The journey requires cooperation. We receive the spiritual invitation, but we must continually choose to respond to it.
If becoming more Godlike is the direction of your life, what is one thing you need to become—or one thing you need to let go of—today?