Godly Ambition

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4

The devil has sold us a lie. He has made us believe more often than not, that we’re number one. He’s told us that life is about finding fulfillment within ourselves.

In order to start thinking differently, we need to realize that we have the capacity to think of others before we think of ourselves. The greatest way to get over you is to start to care about somebody else. That’s the way of beginning the process of restoration and healing in your own life. I want to share four ways to stay on track and move you away from pursuing selfish ambition to pursing Godly ambition.

 1. Guarding Your Heart

“Guard your heart above all things with all diligence. For out of it flow all the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Do you know where selfish ambition stems from? It begins in our heart. Some people search for something that is going to make them feel valid but that will lead you to selfish ambition. All it takes is being one degree off course because of the brokenness in your heart. What you need is divine recalibration of your heart and to stop treating God like a visitor. Let him invade the broken and wounded parts of you 24/7.

The thing that will take you off of your God destiny above anything else is your heart. It’s not someone offending, abusing or hurting you.  Only God can come into those dark places and take us from selfish ambition to Godly ambition. Only then are you going to have the capacity to think of others more then yourself.

 2. Managing Your Disappointments

We get off track because of our disappointments. When things don’t happen our way we choose to go back to where we came from. We choose to do our own thing and no longer pursue God.

We need to remember that Jesus is right there with us in our disappointments. The key is lifting your eyes off of your circumstance to your eternal King. He not only cares, but He’s already done something about it at the cross. How you manage your disappointments in life will determine your destiny.

 3. Leaning on God in Your Weariness

There are good, godly people who are just weary. Maybe you’re there and you're asking, "God when does the stuff that I’ve been doing pay off?” It feels like you are in the backside of the desert and you’ve been there for a long time.

Weariness will take you out of the race if you don’t know where to rest. The Bible says there is only one thing that is going to keep you going. If you wait upon the Lord you will run and not grow weary, you will you will walk and not grow faint. Only then will you have the substance and strength to do what God has called you to do.

When we wait on God and lean on him, we can run 300,000 miles a year and not grow weary. Waiting on God means asking God what His order is. Then choosing to obey and ask for the grace to be able to do it. However, the minute you get on the selfish ambition treadmill, you will get weary and tired. Waiting on the Lord is the only thing that will sustain you.

 4. Trusting God

We’ve given up on trusting God. We’re trying to do in our own strength what only God can do. We’ve turned to reading self-help and “ Ways to Succeed in Business" books. What we need to do is lean into and trust God. Do not limit God to your selfish ambition when he can see you exalted to fulfill His destiny if you would only trust him.

Allow God to invade those broken places and make what was once broken whole again. Choose to take your eyes of your disappointments and up to your everlasting King. When you are feeling weary and heavy-laden, learn to wait on God to renew your strength. Trust God with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

If we can stay on track with these points, we’re on the track to Godly ambition.  

When you do what you are called to do, there’s no room for selfish ambition. It becomes all about God and His plan and purpose. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.