Ambition itself is not necessarily wrong! Paul writes in Romans about his ambition to preach the gospel where it had never been preached. This is holy ambition though. An ambition that is 'Kingdom of God' centered and not self-centered. Augustine talks about loving all things as a means to loving God. So, to personalize this I obviously need to seek great things as I serve God but only in order that His fame grows and not my own.
The hard thing is that often my heart is unable to actually discern what I want to do certain 'things for God' for. Does anyone reading this know what I mean?
I am certain that God has anointed me to do certain things for Him in my brief time upon this earth. Some of those things I think will be quite dynamic and 'fame-making', but is this where the ground becomes very unsettled? I do not want to just sit back and be stupidly passive as I know God has told me to "run the race" and to "strive" for that which Christ has already won for me. But in running the race can I start using my own rules of participation and this be selfish ambition? It is a consistently fine line I think; wanting everything God has placed upon my heart to fulfill but, when that is not in my immediate present, living life in a way that does not transgress into any form of self-centeredness.
It is an issue for me and it can affect so many relationships around me and also really cause people to read you the wrong way-- not what I want! Also when I think about how many times Christ said 'to be the greatest in the kingdom you must be the least' and 'humble yourself and the Lord will exalt you' I know that this is a very important aspect of kingdom living, one which does distinguish me from a world living according to fundamentally different principles.
What about you?
2 comments:
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory - Psalm 115:1
Very important post. This is the way i have been looking at it recently.
There is most definatly a world apart difference between 'ambition' and 'anointing' or shall we say 'God fearing ambition' (I feel for the christian ambition is not quite the same as it is for the unbeliever e.g 2 Corinth 5:17). The former being that horrible self glory or pride and the latter being what God wants us to do for Him. I completely understand what you mean by the difficulty of the heart in discerning the difference.
This is such a prickly point for me as for years being proud to me was a great thing to be. Something to be strived for in itself. I was puffed up on all fronts and when this was threatened I retaliated violently. When Christ graciously showed me His love pride tried desperately to hide under the surface and often under certain 'things for God'. Making it very hard to see initially at times, but nevertheless there.
Plans formulate almost daily and as I ponder these I am forced to see that which i do not want to see. The glory of the self fighting for control, for appeasement. How the heck does this go? How do i seek God's purpose and not love to see myself gain approval? It always seem to be there amongst the struggles.
The point is for me, for us is, it won't go. Those ambitions as we search them, will be found to contain self. Under our own strength and discernment we are truely lost. Whilst in these present, temperol unglorified bodies we can't completely stop that. So my thinking has been going, should I sit back, should I stop allowing myself to dream dream's? No flippin way!
I see it now, God gives us ambition, this is a way He works through us. His purpose will always prevail and the Holy Spirit is our garantee of this. Schaeffer once said this beautiful thing, "The Christian is the really freeman - he is free to have imagination. This too is our heritage. The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars" how beautiful that is. Replace for a second, the word imagination with ambition? I feel they can be one and the same. The reason he can say this is because we serve a God who works through our weakness to such a degree that Paul says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28) "In all things" inclusive of our pathetic pride and "for those who love Him" as His we may fear bad but he can use it. This verse spurs me then to re-look at my ambitions, present them to Him and pray "Speak Lord for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9) Yes, on our own we are, bang in trouble, but praise God we are not alone.
I have had enougth of this issue inside of me, as it has caused both luke-warm attitudes, making me still and also attitudes destroying the reasons for "flying beyond the stars". No I can't defeat this sin alone but Our Glorious Father works through our weakness; and He stirs our hearts to desire things and dreams after Him ones that by earthy standards may seem pure fame acadamy stuff. The man Chambers said this, "God dosen't exist to make a big deal out of us, we exist to make a big deal out of Him". I pray my heart captures this and sings it daily!
Maybe you can take as encouragement the fact that King David was famous but still knowing his place and a man after God's own heart. And after all was not Moses famous? But a servant of "I AM".
P.s Im not suggesting we can do anything and not examine our motives because we can't sin any longer but stating that we need to keep our eyes upon God solely and when He sends ambition to us 'Run' toward Him.
Pps Also not suggesting that as we are predestined we have no responsibility to do anything other than what we are already.
EATMEAT! Powerful, helpful and meaningful insight. Honesty and a deep desire to be searched by the Spirit of God as David prays at the end of Psalm 139 is how we can watch ourselves. Thanks bud.
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