Blind Ambition

My devotion this morning says it the best:

"Blind ambition. Success at all cost. Becoming a legend in one's own time. Climbing the ladder to the top. King of the mountain. Top of the heap. "I did it my way". We make heroes out of people who are ambitious.  We hold them up as models for our kids and put their pictures on the covers of our magazines.

And rightly so. This world would be in sad shape without people who dream of touching the heavens. Ambition is that grit in the soul which creates disenchantment with the ordinary and puts the dare into dream. But left unchecked it becomes an insatiable addiction to power and prestige; a roaring hunger for achievement that devours people as a lion devours an animal, leaving behind only the skeletal remains of relationships.....

God won't tolerate it...... Blind ambition is a giant step away from God and one step closer to catastrophe."

This came out of my Grace for the Moment Devotions by Max Lucado.  I would like to especially thank my mother in law for a wonderful Christmas present.

So why is unchecked ambition a step away from God?

I think it causes us to think that we did it on our own.  That God didn't play a part in our life or where we are today.  You take a personal claim to your accomplishments and leave out the part that matters most.  This is one reason why I think a good health marriage is crucial.  Someone there to communicate with and keep each other in check to the reality of who really provides all and guides our lives.

Sure you can be successful and not have God anywhere in the picture. You see it all the time.  We say "why is it that I work hard and pray and go to church and tith and live my life to God's standards but my life isn't like that".  Does God not love me?

When we have that attitude, we are looking at things from a worldly perspective which is a very hard thing NOT to do.You may have a wonderful marriage, good job, nice house, comfortable finances but when all of that is gone you have to say, "was it really worth trading for an eternity in heaven with a God who loves you more than anything"? To stand before the creator of the universe and be able to bask in His glory.  I will take a life of struggle and trials but with a God who walks beside me. A life not living for me but living for the kingdom. To be able to one day see my Savior and know I am truly home. And if God blesses you with good finances and a good marriage, recognize where that came from. I'll give you a hint, it's not you!. Of course you have to physically do the work and communicate and love and care etc... but those are the fruits of the spirit that God gave you.  Your the vessel God uses to do His work. 

I pray that God will keep us humble and guard and guide our ambitions.  If your not married and don't have that accountability partner and need someone to keep you accountable, ask around at church or a friend.  There are many people who would be willing to be an accountability partner.  They just need your permission to speak into your life and you never know, they may need you as well.

Grace and Peace
Ben