Christian Ambition

In my (soon to be released!) book on Biblical contentment, I mention that I am one of the least ambitious people on the planet. A friend who has known me for a long time and was proofreading my book put a question mark by that sentence in disbelief.

At first, I wondered why that had been a surprise to her, but then a friend of mine pointed out that for someone with no ambition, I do an awful lot.

It’s true that I probably appear much more driven than I actually am, simply because of all the different things I find myself involved in. That got me to thinking about ambition, and what a Christian’s relationship to ambition should be.

The world’s picture of ambition is a strong, confident person, working to achieve his or her dreams and never giving up, no matter what the cost.

It sounds laudable, until we look at the source of that strength and confidence which fuel worldly ambition. For the ambitious, pride and selfishness are at the root of their goals. It’s the old story of the “self-made man”, the one who dreams big dreams of what he or she wants, and then goes tenaciously after them, whatever the cost. Ambition’s goals are often centered around showing others that “I can do it”, or proving our worth to ourselves or to others.

Christian ambition, however, is a different thing altogether. It is rooted, not in pride, but in humility; not in my will, but in God’s will. It is the desire to achieve great things, yes, but those great things are all for God’s glory and not our own.

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14, which give a good picture of Christian ambition:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

The things I do are not done in the pursuit of my own grand dreams or desires; rather, I work at those things in obedience to what God is showing me He wants me to do. I work, I serve, I write, all for God’s glory and honor, and am astonished at the way His will so often results in blessings beyond anything I could ever imagine.

In order to be used by God to accomplish His will, my own ambition, small as it is, must first be cleared away. I must come to the place where I can truly say, “To live is Christ”. (Phil.1:21) God desires a heart of humility. Jesus said we would be like servants, who do their work, then say to their master, “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)

But there is a place for striving after a reward or prize. Paul says in I Corinthians 9:24-27,

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye might obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

There are many crowns mentioned in Scripture as rewards for faithful service and obedience to God. But I think Revelation 4 gives us a good picture of what those crowns are for:

“And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” (4:4)

The elders sit upon the seats wearing their crowns, but as the four angelic “beasts” declare “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come,” giving glory and honor to God, look at the reaction of those elders wearing crowns:

“The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before Him saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (4:10-11)

Christian ambition works to achieve great things for God, to earn those crowns of reward, but only so we can cast those honors before the Lord who gave them, for He alone is worthy. It is our delight to be allowed the privilege of having any small part in worshipping the glorious God whom we love and serve.

That is Christian ambition.