Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 3, 2014
I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. John 17:4
Godly ambition brings glory to God. Yet, I don’t always reflect the glory back to my heavenly Father. My motives become mixed. I want to be thought of in a good light and given credit for my accomplishments. But, the Holy Spirit reminds me that my Savior Jesus needs to be in the spotlight, not me. He is the Light of all men, I am only an illumination of His greater glory. Any industry success is an illustration of the Spirit at work through my work. I am learning to die to my drive for success and instead follow God. Godly ambition deflects credit away from self.
Jesus came to the end of His work by finishing the work assignment given to Him by His heavenly Father. Satan’s hellish agenda could not lure the Lord Christ away from His heavenly mission. Suffering did not give Jesus an excuse to exchange His pain for a renouncement of His equality with almighty God. Instead He surrendered any expedient desires and submitted to the will of His Father. At His death the ungodly ambitions of sinful men were nailed to the cross.
“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3).
The path of godly ambition is not without resistance and rejection. Those with competing agendas may very well oppose our Spirit led agendas. Some may try to discredit our work so they get credit for the work. If so, we trust the Lord to bring honor to Himself; we do not have to highjack the process. Godly ambition waits on the Holy Spirit to work in spite of unholy influences. When we stay focused on being faithful to our calling, God’s does His work!
Moreover, godly ambition finishes well by finishing the work of God. Thoroughness is an attribute of those who trust in the Lord to use their gifts and skills for His glory. We stay on point, so we can point people to Christ. Furthermore, we adjust along the way to meet the needs of those who need us. We may say no to an opportunity so we have more time to invest in a needy individual. Godly ambition trusts God. We get less attention, so we are available to give attention to other needy souls. Ultimately, we die to ourselves so Christ can live through us.
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me a heart of selfless ambition that glorifies You in the process.
Related Readings: Genesis 2:2; Nehemiah 6:3; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 1:3
Post/Tweet today: Any successful industry is an illustration of the Spirit at work through our work. #wisdomhunters
Additional Resource: Podcast on Ambition from Jesus Culture: http://new.jesusculture.com/podcast/episode-13-ambition-part-1/
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