AMBITION

“And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.” - Judges 18:18-20

Ambition is a powerful tool. It can be used to accomplish incredible things. However, more often that not, ambition leads to destruction. Our society applauds the ambition of young people. We admire the ambition that leads some to financial prosperity. We respect those who have political ambition. Yet the things we praise are often a facade. We fail to see beyond the superficial.

The difference between good ambition and destructive ambition often lies with the motive behind it. Selfish ambition is celebrated by many, but ultimately leads to ruin. Selfless ambition, especially ambition driven by a desire to glorify God, can be used to bring about powerful, positive results.

Spiritual ambition may also be driven by the wrong motives. In our text, Micah hired a priest to be his spiritual leader. Yet when he was given an opportunity for a larger ministry, the priest abandoned his promise and loyalty in pursuit of greater numerical success.

Strangely, many ministers fall into this trap. They will quickly leave a small church for a larger church, simply because of the increased salary or greater visibility. The only reason a pastor should leave a church for another is when God leads him to. An opportunity for financial or numerical success does not automatically mean that it is a God-opportunity.

Before making decisions, our ambition needs to be examined carefully, honestly and Biblically. Our selfishness can be very deceitful. Our motives need to be constantly challenged.

Our job is not to impress or please a crowd. Our motive should be to please an audience of One. If that drives our ambition, we'll be on a collision course with the world and the devil. Leonard Ravenhill used to say that he wanted to be on the devil's most wanted list. Mr. Ravenhill knew that it was one thing to be a popular minister, but it is something different to be a God-pleasing, Spiritually-anointed preacher of the Gospel.

We do need people with the right ambition. We need God-fearing people who seek nothing but the glory of God.

Why can't that person be you?