Just preached about SERVANTHOOD this morning being the pathway to GREATNESS.
Seems like our version of ambition is in the opposite direction of Jesus. Up = Down.
Read Matthew 20:17-28 to understand what I'm saying.
However... please respond.
Can you have healthy AMBITIONS without having SELFISH AMBITION?
I hope to post more later this week.
7 comments:
Such a good question, God is really all about challenging me today, geeze! lol
I guess my answer would depend on how you define self ambition, I am trying to do well in school so as to graduate and be a good nurse. Is that self ambition that could never lead to success? I feel that we need that slight drive of selfishness to ever be selfless or servantlike, even if our self driving factor is to find favor in God's eyes, I believe we are by nature selfish creatures, and everything we do has a pro and a con and is weighted to some form of benefit. I think the very word ambition ends up being driven by whatever values the individual posesses.
Whenever I want to do things for others for the sole reason of being a witness or an example to point them to Jesus I know it is not selfish in that usually it requires me to do some self sacrificing... and I also know that I would be just as happy if someone else were to be the one to point them to Jesus and be a good witness.
My apologies. I meant to say SELFish AMBITION (I corrected it above). Self Ambition is too broad, could even be a goal. But I think you knew what I meant.
So Steph, self ambition would include your goals in school.
But I don't want to say too much yet, I'll wait to see if others post.
hmm lol my response stands lol
Hey guys! I think it is possible at the heart of it all to have SELFLESS ambition..which hence leads to servanthood. But I think it takes alot of work for it to remain selfless. You must keep going back to the reason you were inspired. Many things such as pride, money, praise for those once heathly ambitions then slowly turn the focus away from others and the cause and more towards yourself.
Your blog reminded me of one of the most impacting things I read last year:
-"The leader of the future is one that dares to claim his irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation that allows him to enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success & to bring the light of Jesus there."
Henri J. Nouwen
Steph, I didn't say your goals in school we're selfish ambition, but the original good goals of self ambition. We all have good ambitions and school is one of them. Hope that's clear.
Cindy, you make a good point. We can start out any journey with good ambitions, and pride move it off track b/c self ambition gets in the way. The manager who lifts his/her employees up and really helps them succeed, but over time gets selfish can ruin that beautiful opportunity to serve within the career.
Nouwen's quote is right on. There is anguish is all aspects of life, even those who cover it up with success - we can bring light there.
But the idea of claiming claim "irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation" is so true of Jesus, he accomplished his mission by serving not overpowering. From baptism to the cross, it was an upside down strategy, yet the world was changed.
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