day 800: Ambitions

“In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself”

We all have some level of ambition. It would be hard for businesses or business professionals to be at their best without some level of ambition to work to our full potential. But ambition that crosses a line to something that places ourselves or our efforts and business above other people turns into something else that is not good. Ambition has to be constantly kept in check and balanced against values and principles that keep other people and their needs above our own. Even within a company we have to be careful that we don't let our ambitions get the best of us against our peers. It starts with each of us and how we lead, manage, or interact with those we work. Companies that can't keep their ambitions in check run the risk of becoming bullies in the market and at some point that catches up with them. We know who they are and aren't surprised when they get hung out to dry when they stumble. We are better off in not letting our ambitions get the best of us.

The late Pastor David Wilkerson's brother, Gary writes this about how we are to manage our personal ambitions: "One simple way to measure whether you love well is to examine how you look out for the interests of others. As a pastor, I have to forge an unwavering vision to do this. I am charged by God with a call to stir my people to action and to relentlessly pursue the mission he has given us. The truth is, I can go about this in one of two ways: through my own ambition, pushing to achieve my individual goals; or to adopt the heart of Christ and make my mission to love.
If my church grows to ten thousand and I don’t have love as my vision...if
our church sends out 1,000 missionaries but doesn’t have love…then we are
failing in our calling as a believing body. We are raising up false ambassadors
and exporting a weak brand of watered-down Christianity empowered by something
other than love.How about you? Are your prayers or spiritual ambitions locked in a world of your own wants, needs and desires? Are you bothered or irritated when others’
genuine needs interrupt your goals?What is the remedy for selfish ambition? Paul wrote to the Philippians, “In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3b). Paul doesn’t say not to esteem yourself, your vision or your life
mission. But he does say others also have vision, purpose and a mission. If you
will esteem them, you will not just be helping them but also strengthening them
in their calling—and perhaps affecting many lives. Think about the power of Paul’s statement. Imagine what might happen if every Christian radically obeyed this truth. We would all have deep, world-impacting interests in others—and none of us would be immersed in our individual goals. The whole body of Christ would be so other-centered we would empower one another in our many varied callings. If each of us is looking only to interests of our own making, our testimony will be limited at best. But if we all are looking in love to build up others, every God-ordained mission will have more than ample support to be accomplished.

Reference: Philippians 2:3