Error in Ambition

“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.” –Psalms 131:1 

Ambition is a funny thing, like water, too much or too little can be harmful.   When we become complacent and slothful, this is detrimental to us and those around us.  The opposite is true as well, if we look to achieve that which is not in the will of God; or meddle in matters that are not where we are meant to be, this can lead to our destruction.  There are not many who would argue the fact that too little ambition is a bad thing, but too much?  As Christians, can we really have too much ambition? What harm could there be in wanting to achieve?  What harm could there be in wanting more?

Psalms is the most quoted book in the New Testament and I imagine the most quoted book in Christian churches today.  Through written word, this beautiful book canvases the scope of human emotion.  It is the heart of David poured out on a page; with prophecy, doctrine, poetry, and exhortation intertwined within.  David was the second king of Israel behind Saul.  The reason Saul was no longing the king was because his heart was haughty, eyes lofty, and he exercised himself in matters/things too high for him.  King David, the author of the book of Psalms, saw firsthand the effect of being too ambitious.  When Saul was instructed to kill the Amalekites, the prophet (voice of God) Samuel told him to kill all the spoils; leave neither man nor beast.  Saul decided to keep the best of the flock, saying the people wanted to offer it as a sacrifice to God.  He manipulated the commandment of God to suit his own personal desires.  He wanted the spoil, the people wanted sacrifice, and nobody stop to consider what God wanted.  Saul was anointed king under God over the people Israel, and he spent too much time thinking about how he was over the people, and not enough time considering that he was under God.  His ambition lifted his heart beyond his authority; outside of his occupation, and he lost the kingdom (and eventually his life) because of it.  David took instruction from this and his ambition was only towards the things of God.  The longing to praise him, to worship him, and to fight for him was David’s heart; even in his sinfulness he saw that God and God alone was who the offence was against (against thee and thee only have I sinned).  He loved God more than the praise of men.  He loved God more than this world.  He loved God and God was the guide of his life.

As born again Christians who are following Jesus, living dead to this world, and alive to God; the ambition that takes us outside of the commandments of God it is too much ambition.  The ambition that carries us to a place where we “fear the people”, is misplaced.  Saul’s greatest sin was that he loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  Therefore he was unfit to lead.  Pastors, teachers, bishops, and board of directors across the Christian world are sacrificing the will of God for the praise of men, and doing it because their ambition has carried them outside their occupation.  It will do the same to you and me if we are not careful.  You can want a scholarship, job, property, or possession so much that it carries you to a place where you forget God.  Again, religious ambition is not excluded.  You can have ambition to be a pastor of a certain church or a bishop over a certain circuit.  A leader or minister.  Is this God’s will for us?  Or our will for ourselves, hidden under the cloak of Christianity?  It is a careful thing, because it is a dangerous trap.  Many a man has wanted better for his family only to find himself traveling all over the world.  His kids may have a first class education, but they don’t have a first class father.  Satan is subtle, but God is greater and knoweth all things; and when our greatest desire is for Him to guide our lives, there is no error in this ambition.