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Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
Amazing how my ambitions drastically changed the moment I heard the word ‘little’c’. I had the ambition to resume pre-dawn surf patrols now my kids are grown and out of the house. Now, after hearing about little’c’, I just want spend more time with the Lord. More time with Winnie, even if it’s just praying for her and our own two grown children, and the PureHeartChildren’sFund’s kids while she sleeps.
Priorities. Selfish ambitions (Surfing is a blast, you loose tons of weight, you look better, you feel better) but it’s all about you: I need to work out more and to eat better for whatever it is to come, but I can do that in the house, while paying more attention to Godly things. Godly ambitions are good. Godly ambitions are towards God and others. Worldly ambitions are inward only, selfish.
Ambitions are tricky. It’s great to be ambitious in your studies, career and in sports. But it is possible to get too ambitious to the point where you hurt others and become selfish. It is good to have high goals to reach, but the ends do not justify the means. I have seen many loose their moral and humane compasses as ambitions took control of them. Too much ambition can be self damaging. Ambition not only creates great athletes and scholars, but also narcissistic, suicidal monsters as well.
America, Japan, Germany, Korea, India and most of the world’s societies teach that ambition is the most important thing. To the point that we hear about students committing suicide. A good boy is an ambitious boy. A good prospect for a husband is an ambitious man. In business, an ambitious worker gets patted on the back and promoted (some times by treacherous, self serving maneuvering). Even religion loves ambitious people. They love head counts, numbers, and growth. The problem with all that is that this type of ambition is called in the KJV ‘strife’. Ambitious people strive. Ambitious people are extremely competitive. Being competitive is good on a wrestling mat, not so good on FaceBook.
Striving isn’t what the Holy Spirit shows us to do. Strife in itself is contentious. Strife and contention are not a derivative of the Holy Spirit, but of Satan. I’d better qualify this. Selfish ambition is bad. Selfish ambition insinuates that you being better than someone else. Pride, the opposite of humility. There’s a better ambition.
My ambitions have been tamed as I grow in Christ, and get kicked by life stuff. I want to become more Christlike because we are told to be that way. And, because we are told to do so, it’s entirely possible. Not in our own power, but in God’s power.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.
As God conforms us to His Son’s image, our ambitions change. From carnal self ambition to Godly ambition. From ambitions to be seen or popular to helping others to be seen or to be more popular. You can’t do both:
Selfish ambition puts self first, in the limelight. Godly ambition puts others in the spotlight, for the glory of God. As I see my own children, or our kids in the dump or the barrio make good decisions, I swell with pride. If I see an English student or Bible disciple grasp a concept, I am ecstatic. But as my spiritual growth continues, my greatest ambition is to know Christ. To love Him more dearly, in a more real way. To communicate with God the Father through the Holy Spirit more effectively. To be a million times better husband, father, pastor, friend, teacher, Christian testimony. Ambitions to be more loving, gentler (a long way to go) and just in general to be a better more effective witness. But more than anything, to be closer to Jesus. I think any true follower of Jesus questions his or her own closeness to Christ.
Paul, nearing the end of his life, after becoming a leader of the early church had the same ambition. He wasn’t ambitious for himself. He said, I only want to know Him. (Jesus, and he had already personally met Him, face to face, on the The more we grow, the more ambitious we are to know Him, and to be confirmed to His image
Philipians 3:18 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
PS…….FYI
Landing in MIAMI Tuesday! Would love to see you.
I am not only using the VA network but also I have full Medicare options. With Medicare I need a referring doctor, any recommendations? I don’t know if any. Need as many options as possible. Although I love the doctors here in Nicaragua it’s just too expensive to be operated on down here, and the only option for me is pretty horrendous, so I prayerfully decided to splash for the ticket and see what I can do in the states.
I thought I got scammed buying the ticket online, I hardley ever travel. We are just too busy in the Lord’s vineyard. Turns out though, that they were just sloppy and disorganized , but not criminal. Wasted a night though trying not to have my identity stolen. But all good!
So a dear friend asked me if my little ‘boo boo’ will affect PureHeartChildren’sFund
Here’s my answer. ‘PureHeartChildren’sFund has a staff of ten plus about 7 wonderful volunteers This work of love goes perpetually whether we are there or not,,, more times than not, I tend to get in the way. Winnie is staying because neither of us are vaxed. I don’t need one to enter but she does. Winnie and I designed PureHeartChildren’sFund to outlast us. So it’s perpetually sharing the love of Jesus Christ. We are just the poster children haha.