What comes to mind when you hear the word "AMBITION"? This may not describe you, but in many Christian circles the word ambition conjures up negative feelings. More often than not, it's used to describe things that we desire but shouldn't be pursuing and is frequently preceded by the word selfish. Granted, James rightly instructs us as to the destructive nature of selfish ambition within the church:
"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice." James 3:16
BUT LET'S NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER!
Defining all ambition as selfish just because it sometimes (wrongly) functions that way in the life of believers is like declaring all food to be evil (or those who eat it idolaters) because some struggle with gluttony. That's ridiculous! Some are selfish and some are gluttons but that doesn't make ambition or food wrong. Listen to Paul:
"and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel" Romans 15:20a
Ambition and food are both still good-just as God created them; it's the way we use these gifts that determine their usefulness and reveal our motives.
You probably didn't start the day today thinking about ambition, so I'm glad I could be of assistance. I want to highly recommend Dave Harvey's new book to you: RESCUING AMBITION. I'm only half way through but I can already see this is a book that many of us need to read and all will benefit from. Here's an excerpt from the introduction:
"Why read this book? Read it to make connections between what you want and what you do...between your present opportunities and your future hopes...between your life and God's glory. These connections rescue us from fruitlessness, pointlessness, purposelessness, and the haunting gray twilight of wasted time and lost opportunity. They remind us that a big God uses small people to steer the course of history-people like you and me.
To understand ambition, we must understand that each of us lives on a quest for glory. Where we find it determines the success of our quest." Dave Harvey, Rescuing Ambition
We have a few copies for sale on the book table but you don't have to wait till Sunday. Hop on Amazon.com or the Sovereign Grace Ministries web site and order it sooner.
Let's rescue ambition together.
2 Comments
Rick Jeror Aug 17, 2010 @ 6:22 pm
I too have read this book, and highly recommend. One problem is you go into it thinking it will validate MY ambition and then Dave kind of makes you reevaluate your thinking process through scriptures. But he does make you realize that it's not a BAD thing to have ambition, as long as it's tempered by the holy spirit. Don't know if any of that makes much sense but it did in my head anyway.
Derrick Jeror Aug 17, 2010 @ 6:10 pm
You reminded me that I need to read this book. I have a copy but it got put in my long list of "books I need to read". I think maybe I'll bump it to the top of the list.
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