Ambition in check

The voicemail message was a strange one, “Pastor, would you please pray that God gives me favor so that my worship ‘ministry’ goes world-wide?” I don’t know the person making that request. However, I know this: If his real desire is ministry, it won’t matter whether he is serving 10 or 10,000! It seems clear to me that the guy making that request has his priorities a little mixed up! His ambition is out of focus. I did not pray what he asked! I did ask pray; that his ministry would be God-honoring, marked by faithfulness, and that when he led worship he would become invisible as he led people into the Spirit’s presence.

Ambition gets out of focus easily enough. Last week a person sent me a note that praised my writing skills. I appreciate encouragement. We all do. However, I took that praise and got all puffed up. I imagined myself writing a book and speaking at conferences. It makes me laugh at myself when I think how quickly my sinful human nature can take a little affirmation and go on an extended ego trip! Managing ambition demands constant submission to the Spirit.

The Bible speaks of ambition and not always with condemnation! The Word is replete with examples of people who dreamed of accomplishing much for God, who desired to do amazing in His service. In far too many of their stories, their very success became their undoing. Remember Saul, the first king of Israel? Samuel found him full of pride and rebellious. He asked him to remember when he was nobody and God made him somebody! “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:17, NIV) In contrast there is the story of Joseph. A farm boy from nowhere, God gave him a dream! Through years of hard times he held onto that dream, serving God and men faithfully in small ways until God raised him to great prominence as the Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph never forgot Who he served or why he was promoted.

What God corrects is selfish ambition.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, NIV)
"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." (James 3:16, NIV)

Nothing corrupts ministry more quickly than the need to be recognized, the desire to be first; ambition that is no longer submitted to the Spirit of the Lord.
When our ministry to God and His people, whatever it is that He has called and equipped us to do, becomes about numbers or reputation, it will no longer be ‘ministry.’

Here’s a word from the Word. May the Spirit use it to keep our selfish ambition in check and to encourage service that is focused on the One worthy.

"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 2:5-11, NIV)