Getting Ahead in Today's World: What St. Francis Xavier Can Teach Us

Getting Ahead in Today’s World: What St. Francis Xavier Can Teach Us

December 3 is the Feast of St. Francis Xavier. Many of us have heard of him…but how does he speak to us today? Is his life still relevant? I believe it is.

Through the ages, people wrestle with the question: What am I meant to do with my life?

Some pursue ambition, some seek security, others chase admiration. But the life of St. Francis Xavier—one of the greatest missionaries in Christian history—offers a countercultural answer: our lives are most fruitful when we surrender our will to God’s. Our lives are never more fruitful than when we surrender to God’s will.

It’s a paradox of faith: the more we cling to control, the smaller our lives become. But when we loosen our grip and invite God to lead, He opens doors, redirects paths, and brings forth growth we could never have produced by ambition alone. Such was the life of St. Francis Xavier.

Before Francis Xavier became a missionary, he was on a different path entirely. Brilliant, charismatic, and academically gifted, he aspired to a life of prestige.

His goal was not sainthood but success.

Then came a challenge from his friend Ignatius of Loyola, a challenge rooted in Christ’s own words:
“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his soul?”

This was the turning point. Francis didn’t lack ambition; he simply lacked the right aim. The moment he chose God’s will over his carefully conceived plan and ambitions, everything changed—not just for him, but for tens of thousands who would encounter Christ through his mission.

Francis’ surrender sent him across oceans, into cultures he had never seen, among people whose languages he did not speak. This wasn’t adventure for adventure’s sake.
It was obedience. He consistently defended the dignity of the poor, lived simply despite his noble family background, and allowed himself to go to extremes in serving the Gospel of Christ.

It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t easy. But he understood that it was will of God, and so, it was enough.

St. Francis Xavier’s life is a powerful reminder that the greatest adventure begins when we stop asking, “What do I want?” and start asking, “Lord, what do You want of me?” His story challenges us in a world where personal ambition often eclipses spiritual surrender.

Francis Xavier had a brilliant future mapped out. He was educated, admired, and positioned for success. But God had a different path—one that didn’t flatter his ambitions but fulfilled his purpose.
His life shows that God’s will often interrupts our plans because He wants to give us something better.

Francis didn’t know everything ahead of him, and neither do we. God rarely gives us the whole map—only the next step.
Francis teaches us that faithfulness is not about clarity but trust.

Today we live in a world obsessed with measurable success—titles, achievements, platforms, visibility. Even our spiritual lives can subtly bend toward self-fulfillment rather than self-gift.

St. Francis Xavier confronts us with a question:
Are we choosing God’s mission, or merely baptizing our own ambitions?

He reminds us that:

God’s will may lead us away from comfort.
His plans often differ from our dreams.
True greatness is born of surrender, not striving.
And paradoxically, when we give God permission to redirect our lives, our impact becomes far greater than we could have engineered on our own.

Not everyone is called to cross oceans, but everyone is called to cross the boundaries of their own comfort. We are invited to say, like Francis Xavier once did:
“What do You want of me, Lord?”

And then to trust that His answer—however unexpected—will lead to a life fuller and more meaningful than our own ambition ever could.

A Simple Prayer Inspired by St. Francis Xavier

Lord, teach me to seek Your will above my own.
Where I cling to ambition, give me courage to surrender.
Where You call me beyond myself, give me grace to follow.
Make my life a mission, not to my glory, but to Yours.