Why Should Christians Have Ambition to Achieve Anything, What Does It Matter
Faith / xi Jan 2021
Can a Christian be ambitious?
Words past
Illustrated by Nicole Chan
Almost vi years ago, I quit my job every bit a corporate lawyer to join full-time ministry. My plan was to ambitiously pioneer a new ministry that would reach out to young people through dance with authenticity and inventiveness.
Soon after, I realised something strange going on. As I began hitting roadblocks along the mode, I found myself increasingly preoccupied with questions that were annihilation but God-centred.
- Am I doing enough?
- How tin I do more to prove this ministry is good and viable to onlookers?
- Am I good plenty to lead this ministry?
The consistency of such questions shortly made me genuinely confused. Was my original ambition godly or not?
And if it was godly, why was my pursuit often coloured with ugly streaks of pride, self-centredness and anxiety? Where did my focus on God and the peace that comes with trusting Him become?
My appetite had birthed not just a new ministry, information technology had brought to low-cal the reality of the intense warfare in my heart between the spirit and my flesh.
THE Tricky Affair Nigh AMBITION
I started thinking: If appetite could possibly trigger the worse in united states, should we even be ambitious?
Turning our attending to the life of Paul from the Bible, it appears he was a highly ambitious man.
In Romans 15:xx, Paul conspicuously lays out his lofty ministry ambition: To preach Christ where He has never been heard.
Sure plenty, he set up at to the lowest degree xiv churches beyond his decades of public ministry building!
Paul is THE poster child of godly ambition fulfilled.
Merely that isn't the only thing Paul has said most his ambition.
He employs the same Greek word (philotimeomai) used to describe appetite once again in 2 Corinthians 5:9. And this time, he phrases it this fashion: "Therefore we also take equally our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." (NASB)
And in a version we might exist more than familiar with: "So we brand information technology our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or abroad from it." (NIV)
Godly ambition is always relationally driven, not results driven.
This poetry provides the key to Paul's single-minded and clear pursuit of his goal for God, even in the face of challenges. I hateful, the campaigner has been through a lot (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).
And yet he remained steadfast, never becoming inward looking and never stopping. Fifty-fifty when he became totally hindered in the work when he was thrown behind confined, Paul's ambition burned on (Philippians 1:12-xiv).
THE HEART OF OUR Ambition
Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:9 clarified something important for me. Ambition certainly can't be wrong in and of itself.
Godly appetite is always relationally driven, non results driven. It is the closeness of our walk with the Lord and the depth of our human relationship with Him that must daily fuel our passion.
The danger of doing otherwise is maybe best illustrated by the older son in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32). The older son had looked every function the perfect child – committed to the father'southward piece of work, obedient and faithful.
However, the re-appearance of his wayward brother uncovered the truthful nature of the older son's industriousness.
The older son raged when he realised how lavish his father's grace was upon the return of his good-for-nothing brother. His complaint betrayed precisely what he was working hard for.
It wasn't for love for the father but for what he could become out of him.
THE GODLINESS OF OUR Appetite
I wonder, did anyone know the state of the older son'due south heart? Did the older son even know information technology himself?
Subsequently all, it isn't quite so like shooting fish in a barrel to make up one's mind what truly fuels our ambitions.
While peering into my own heart, here are some helpful handles I've discovered while figuring out whether my ambitions were godly or non.
one. Identity check
"What do yous fear the most in your pursuit of your 'godly' ambition?"
If fright is a controlling factor in your pursuit of your ambition, you're probable suffering from an identity crisis where you've invested your identity right at the point of your fears.
This could manifest in questions similar these:
"If I don't do this, what volition people think of me?"
"If I terminate/don't do more/don't do better, volition information technology mean I'm a bad Christian?"
Friends, you're not in a Christian popularity competition where your ticket into the kingdom depends on garnering high scores from others.
Instead, our primary identity in the kingdom is equally a child of God. We belong and are significant based on our relationship to the Rex.
And every bit the Spirit leads us day by twenty-four hour period to be more than confident and secure in God'south fatherly love, fright looses its grip on us (1 John 4:xviii).
PRO-TIP: Pray regularly nigh your specific fears and anxieties.
2. Delectation check
"Are yous content?"
For all his ambitious endeavours, Paul has certainly led a pretty simple life.
Knowing the specific hardships he went through (see above), I'thou diddled away by how he declares in Philippians 4:12-13 that he has learnt the hugger-mugger of being content in whatever and every circumstance.
What is the status of our hearts? Are nosotros truly resting in our walk with the Lord and whatever His hand provides at any time?
Or are we constantly itching to be somewhere else and do something else? Unfortunately, we sometimes repackage this very itch of discontentment as "ambition".
However, I've learnt that if godly appetite is truly fuelled by wanting to please the Lord, nosotros will learn to be content to trust Him fifty-fifty in the well-nigh dire of circumstances, including unforeseen changes, mistakes, setbacks and failures.
PRO-TIP: Keep a daily thanksgiving log where you intentionally give thanks to God for specific blessings in the day.
iii. People check
"How do you care for others?"
When the love of God is actively at work in the hearts of His children, something interesting happens. Not simply does the Spirit lead united states to dear Him, we're as well compelled to start loving others boldly.
God's corking mission has always been to reconcile a wayward people to Him in dear (2 Corinthians v:11-xv). Certainly an appetite that is birthed through His Spirit would feed back into this greater mission.
And all the same, how often accept we failed to flavour our interactions with His dearest and grace?
This is especially and so during crisis times when people hinder our difficult work or mess up our plans. Our instinct is to react with annoyance or acrimony, betraying our tendencies to prioritise our ambition over people.
PRO-TIP:Actively look out for people who are in your communities to encourage and assert.
If you're struggling with your pursuit of your godly ambition, accept heart considering you lot're in a almost opportune place for growth (Hebrews 12:seven-xi).
It is precisely through hardships that God sharpens His children to yield fruit, not simply in terms of ministry results, but in the depth of our character and intimacy with Him!
- What are some dreams or ambitions that God has placed on your eye?
- What do you fright the virtually in the pursuit of the above?
- Can you lot recollect of an example where you take personally witnessed someone's ambition being a source of encouragement or discouragement to others.
FREELY RECEIVE, FREELY Requite
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