I must refuse all attempts at being ambitious, especially spiritually ambitious, which can be my greatest stumbling block. A Christian often gladly surrenders the ambition to be rich, famous, and powerful, and thinks himself a favorite of God. But he often retains ambitions that are just as disabling, such as the ambitions to be the most powerful preacher, to win the most souls, to write the most influential books, or to be the greatest spiritual leader. He justifies those ambitions because they are “for the Lord’s sake,” but in reality they are self-centered. They are no different, except in dress, from the ambitions of the unregenerate man.
A true disciple has no personal ambitions whatever. He is not concerned with ambitions; they are not germane to his function in God’s Kingdom. To have any kind of ambition for oneself is to indicate a mind independent of God. To do God’s will is the disciple’s function, and God does not always make His will clear beforehand. It is worked out in clarity but not clearly predicted before the “working out.” So I always must keep my life open and clean for the Lord to write in His will. Having personal ambition is writing my own will for myself.
Thank God I need not direct my paths, for He has promised to do that (Proverbs 3:6). Once I surrender my ambition, He will often say, “Go up higher” (Luke 14:10, KJV). But going up higher means nothing to the man of God unless his Lord makes it the expression of His will. He rejoices in the will of God for its own sake, not for any personal gain that may come out of it.
“But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them” (Jeremiah 45:5).
Daily with the King 