Godly Ambition!

“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.” Rom 15:20

The story of the buried talent suggests that God expects us to produce benefits or results from what He has given us. Paul knew this very well.

Paul’s ambition was to preach the gospel in places where it hadn’t been heard. This missionary zeal is a calling from God and an ambition aligned with His will. A Godly ambition is something you deeply desire and which aligns with God’s will. It’s not limited to missions alone, but it encompasses any pursuit that glorifies God and serves others.

Exercising faith in God means actively using the abilities He has granted us, rather than waiting passively. The passive person who shuns personal effort because they ‘trust God’ might sound spiritual, but it can sometimes be a cover for laziness and a lack of responsibility. The value of trusting God for a harvest diminishes when there is reluctance to sow and nurture seeds.

However, there is a balance between hustle and humility in godly ambition. Hustle involves hard work, utilising one’s skills, and actively pursuing goals without expecting success to simply fall into one’s lap. Humility, on the other hand, entails directing one’s efforts toward glorifying God, serving others, and focusing on the stewardship of gifts and talents rather than personal recognition.

Everyone has been uniquely given something for the good of others. In a family, in churches, and local communities, God has placed everyone uniquely to use their talents, gifts, and potential to complete the group.

One point though, God doesn’t lead us into ambitions that are pointless—that you will regret at the end of your life. There is always a need to be met (not a need in God, but in the world) by a holy ambition. Holy ambitions are not about self-exaltation. Instead, they are always a form of love. They always meet someone’s need.

The Bible warns against self-centered ambition that seeks personal advancement, fame, or wealth. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” Phil 2:3-4.

True godly ambition is rooted in glorifying God, serving others, and recognizing the stewardship of one’s talents for the greater good.

“To the weak, I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings“ 1 Cor 9:22-23.

I mentioned during our group discussion that most young people are leaving churches when they experience the two extremes in Christianity, where they are either stifled in ambition or promoting worldly ambition. Believers are to crucify pride, not stifling ambition, by redirecting ambition to serve God and others. The pursuit of success or achievement should be motivated by a desire to glorify God and benefit others, rather than seeking personal validation or recognition.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Col 3:23.

Central to maintaining humble ambition is cultivating a deep relationship with God, where the focus shifts from self-glory to glorifying Him through one’s work and endeavours.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up“ James 4:10.

So, my understanding is that ambition, when aligned with God’s will and pursued with a balance of diligent effort and humble service, can be considered ‘holy ambition.’ It’s not about suppressing ambition but aligning it with a higher purpose and understanding the responsibility that comes with it.

Kay Alli