The Role Of Ambition In A Christian's Life

“Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine." Elvis Presley

Living the Christian life is not only difficult, it is impossible. And one of the main reasons it is impossible for us to live for Christ (in our power) is that we are fighting a spiritual war on two different fronts. We have our internal battle, our constant tug-of-war between our spirit being led by Christ and our flesh being led by our desires, because we were born with a sin nature. (Romans 7:17-24) We also live in a world that has been marginalized and diminished by the curse of our original sin which has resulted in the distortion of God's desire for this planet. 

Then we have to factor in the presence, power, and influence of an ex-angel, who driven by selfish ambition, pursued his own agenda and rebelled against God. His rebellion resulted in not only his banishment from Heaven, but also of one-third of the angels that had lived in paradise before this choice. Now these fallen creatures have one goal, to steal, kill, and destroy as many humans for their cause as possible before their time runs out. 

Finally, we have to consider the choices that we, as humans acting on our selfish ambitions, have caused relationally for each other. A great deal of the pain, suffering, loneliness, and lack of community that we endure is the result of our sin choices. And we haven't even discussed the impact of the sin curse on our health, mentally, physically, and spiritually. These are just a few of the internal and external forces that are acting on our minds, bodies, and souls on a daily basis.

"Taking a deep breath . . . "

And yet if I'm being honest, and that is one of the goals of this weekly platform, I rarely wake up focused or even aware of this battle going on in and around me. Mostly I wake up consumed with my own agenda, my own ambitions, and my own desires, which I then, on a good day, might half-heartedly ask God to magically transform into good works for His Kingdom. 

I think most mature Christians at this point will agree that this approach will not end well. 

So how do I go about putting guardrails around my selfish ambition without banishing all ambition from my daily choices? Is that even possible? 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Philippians 2:3-11 (NIV)

The Bible says that we should do nothing out of selfish ambition—thinking only of our own desires and interests—or out of pride and vain conceit. Let's park here for just a moment, I believe that pride is at the root of fear and anxiety, when we refuse to humbly rest in God's sovereign care. Fear simultaneously reveals our lack of trust and our poisonous self-reliance. We fear because we don't have faith in the Lord, we are enormously preoccupied with ourselves, and we don't have control.

They manifests itself in all kinds of ways in our daily choices:

• We don't believe that God is going to elevate us to appropriate level that we believe our gifts entitles us to be, in whatever leadership role we find ourselves a part of. We long to be part of the  highest leadership level, to belong to the rank where the most recognized, praised, and compensated reside in your organization.
• We trust in external metrics to gauge our success rather than what the Bible says about obedience and submission. Social media is a great tool of disillusionment for measuring our personal success.
• We choice to banish from our reality the fact that God has promised us an eternal inheritance, with a package that consists of complete fulfillment, peace, and a forever relationship with Him. With this perspective, does it really matter what temporal influence or lack of influence I might have on this side of eternity?
• We begin to question the goodness of God, (which I might remind everyone was a major cause of the Devil's rebellion), seeking instead to carve out our own plan to achieve success, happiness, and fulfillment. We can at this point be easily led astray because we are walking with our feet in two worlds, intent on pleasing two masters when it is impossible to serve both. At most, the result is a temporary reprieve of our God-sized hole in our heart that can and only be filled by His presence. At worst, the result can be a total loss of everything that truly matters. 

But their is a flip side to this scripture, because Paul is not telling us to forsake all ambition. Ambition is a healthy tool, used properly and with the proper boundaries. The problem lies in the fact that we rarely see ourselves as we truly our, and our pride, and yes our ambition, can cause us to resist outside voices speaking into our lives and choices. Yet I personally have found that living life without checks and balances, especially in the area of ambition, is impossible. We need that daily time with our Creator, reading His Word, and pondering on the message that He is wanting to convey to our lives. We also need accountability, good friends who are not afraid to speak truth into our situations, that love us to much to ignore our treks down the paths of destruction. 

If it means anything at all, I have tried it both ways and it is still a daily struggle to maintain the approriate balance. I have lived my life totally consumed with getting ahead in the corporate world, with all the perks and rewards that can accompany that lifestyle. And for the past decade or so I have lived a life of little ambition, serving on staff at a local church, and deeply struggling just to maintain financial security in my current situation. It is easy to justify choices made in either arena, and yet God does not desire for me to live a life devoid of ambition. Without goals, you have no hope. This is just as dangerous a road as pouring all of my energies into selfish ambition. Neither are healthy, and neither are what God desires for my life. So we are back to the original question, how do you live a life of ambition, but not fueled by selfish desires? 

I believe that perhaps the answer lies in the gift of humility, which is focusing on someone else more than self. Or, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but of yourself less.”

In John 13:15, Jesus sets an example for us to follow. After washing His disciples’ feet — an act of love, humility, and service — He encourages us to follow His lead and serve one another.

Think about this, Jesus, the Son of God, never placed himself in a position above others. He led by serving, and He loved by serving. He washed feet. He fed thousands. He walked to heal the sick. He spent time with those no one else cared to spend time with. But don't confuse serving with just doing, for that also can be path to spiritual pride. The key here is that we have to genuinely care about people. It’s keeping our eyes, hearts, and schedules open for divine appointments. Jesus was not hurried, stressed by time, worried about what others thought of Him, or overwhelmed by a list of tasks to accomplish each day. Instead, He was led by the Spirit of God and followed His promptings to serve, love, and help others. No task was ever beneath Jesus, and no person was ever unworthy.

This truth is further explained in Galatians 5:13:

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

The road to this kind of life-change begins as all changes begin, with an intent and motivated spirit to obey God in regard to His commandment to love others more than we love ourselves. And only God's 
Spirit working in us can bring about this kind of change. 

The next step might involve reevaluating our schedules. Be diligent and merciless in eliminating tasks and ambitions that are self-serving and not designed to serve others. Ask Him to show you each day what needs to be done and what can be set aside. He promises us that if we ask for wisdom He will be faithful to grant this request. 

At this point I believe we are open to God's Spirit, accepting His interruptions in our daily lives, to help serve those around us. Do you see a struggling mom at the store? Let her get in line before you. Does your neighbor need help with his lawn? Take care of it for him. Is there a word of encouragement you could share with someone who God has placed on your heart? Take the time to send them one.

Yes, it’s easier said than done, but following God’s prompting and leading when going about your day doesn’t have to be complicated. If you feel like you should stop and serve, do it. This doesn’t necessarily mean you take on every opportunity presented to you. Pray. Ask God, then listen and do what He says. And be open to receiving His grace as you embrace this new lifestyle, His goal for us is not perfection, but obedience. 

I hope that this personal essay might be of use to someone in the future. I promise that I need to adhere to these words more than most people who might read this in the days to come. Maybe you take comfort in the fact that most of us struggle with the role ambition plays in our lives and until we are called home, we won't totally get it right. 

But that doesn't mean that we give up trying. 

Your fellow traveler.