Godly Ambition: Maximize Your Gifts for ChristNäide

FREE TO FLOURISH

Godly ambition falls between the extremes of apathy and pridefulness. In Romans 15:20, Paul refers to “ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known.(NIV)” He uses the same word, philotimeomai, meaning “to strive earnestly, to aspire, to be ambitious” in the context of pleasing God (2 Corinthians 5:9) and in his urging “to lead a quiet life” (1 Thes­salonians 4:11 NIV).

A heart for the gospel. A desire to please God. A hum­ble life. That’s godly ambition in a nutshell. If I could encapsu­late this type of ambition in a single word, it would be stewardship.

Ambition starts with acknowledging that nothing actually belongs to you. Everything is a gift, entrusted to you by God—the creator and owner of all things. As David prayed, “Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chroni­cles 29:14 NIV).

This responsibility is paradoxical: Our lives are not our own, yet we bear personal responsibility to steward them well. That means doing our best with what we’ve been given, trusting God to guide and teach us along the way. Imagine a gardener nurturing a gar­den through tending to the soil, cutting weeds, and protecting plants from pests. Even so, while the gardener plants and waters, it is ultimately God who brings the harvest.

The crux of godly ambition is viewing our talents as tools for steward­ship, dedicated to uplifting and aiding others in their own jour­neys. It’s about transforming what we are given into what we can give, making our work not just a career but a calling.

At its core, dominance is a symptom of selfishness and inse­curity. Power is a way to prop ourselves up. But since we know we are already loved, redeemed, and adopted into God’s family, we don’t need to strive selfishly for success. We’re free from the pres­sure to be the best, even as we give our best.

When you embrace ambition as stewardship, it changes your motivation. Instead of feeling pressure to build your brand, you become an ambassador for God’s kingdom. Your gifts point others not to yourself but to him.

Lord, thank you for entrusting me with gifts and opportunities. Teach me to steward them well, not for approval or applause but out of love for you. Amen.