What’s Your Ambition
Musings from the Garden
By Peggy Wyar
According to the Collins Dictionary, the noun, ambition, means an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.
There are many ways people show what they are ambitious about. We have probably all met workaholics who are obviously striving for accolades and promotions at their jobs. There are those who work hard and long to achieve much wealth, but who often lack the time to enjoy it all because they are constantly working for more. Some celebrities or musicians are all about the fame and are passionate about staying in the limelight. Self-promotion and self-reliance seem to be their most noticeable attribute.
I think God has a different view of what ambition looks like in His kingdom. In this scripture from 1 Thessalonians, He instructs us to be ambitious about leading a quiet life (verse 11). The original language speaks of keeping still and not meddling. How many of us would do well to keep our opinions and “answers” to ourselves? Maybe we need to learn to be still and pray in our minds rather than opening our mouths. Minding our own business and working for our own needs can earn respect from a watching world who may be so tired of hearing from so many voices with so many solutions for the litany of society’s so many problems.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 NIV “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
This next scripture gives us an added layer for understanding God’s heart. As we pray for those around us, we can enjoy peaceful lives. Our lives may have less drama and chaos as we do the next right thing without expecting everyone around us to join with us.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
If we consider Jesus and how He lived, we may notice that He was not about social media and selfies. He wasn’t ambitiously broadcasting all the good works He was doing. In fact, He often told the recipients of a miracle to not tell others. He spent time alone with the Father. He did only what the Father told Him to do. He was not seeking self-promotion, but how to best glorify His Father. In James we read that this kind of humility walks alongside wisdom.
James 3:13-16-18 NIV “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
If we learn to follow Jesus’ example, walking in the wisdom that comes from heaven, our lives will be quieter, peaceful, full of mercy, and bearing much fruit. There will be those God promotes to have a bigger presence in this world; such as a teaching or worship ministry that is making an impact for the gospel. However, I think most of us will be quietly living our lives, ministering love and care to our families and those we meet at the Circle K or at the doctor’s office, and growing more in love with Jesus daily.
We can choose to be ambitious about not meddling. We can strive to bring everything to God in prayer. We can repent of envy and selfish ambition to avoid disorder and the evil that may follow. We can choose to humbly submit our hearts’ desires to God and wait on Him to bring about what He knows is good for us and for His glory.
Let’s choose to respond to God’s transformative work in us, and be ambitious about pursuing Him.