Most of us can point to a few people in our lives whose sole ambition is to make a lot of money and accumulate things. This pursuit is usually an insatiable one. How much is enough? To that end, the Harvard Business Review posted an article entitled, ‘How ambitious should you be?” It’s a useful article but doesn’t integrate a faith perspective.

For the person of faith, the difference between ambition and humble service can be a fine line. Take the example of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14. They healed a man at the temple who had been crippled from birth. The crowd reacted to the healing by going crazy. They began to worship Paul and Barnabas as if they were Greek gods. Even after Paul and Barnabas pointed the people to the true healer, God, the people could hardly restrain their worship of the two men. After intense adulation, they could have made a name for themselves as healers. They resisted because it would have glorified them, not God.

Even Jesus was tempted by ambition when in the wilderness. Satan took him to a high mountain and had Jesus look at the kingdoms of the world. If Jesus was willing to worship Satan, he would give him all that he could see. Satan, whose misplaced ambition resulted in an expulsion from heaven, continues to tempt us towards the same.

Ambition drives us. It’s not wrong to be ambitious, but the heart motive is important as is the end goal of ambition. Is it directed to self, to be number one, or to be the one with the most toys? What is your goal? And what does it mean to achieve?

Philippians 2:3 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem others better than himself.” I find this verse quite challenging. It gets at the heart of the matter. Ambition is directed at helping others, not self. So, examine your heart motive. The wrong motive can leave you empty and always wanting more. We see this regularly from those whose actions are motivated through self-ambition.

Ambition can co-exist with godly character. When Paul was Saul, he was highly ambitious. He believed he was doing good by persecuting Christians. But God brought him revelation.  He was not leading a religious crusade, rather a fight against God himself. After Paul’s conversion, his ambition was redirected to spread the Gospel. And his motive was different. He served God, not himself. He was mindful of community and God’s purposes. His ultimate ambition was to know Christ. Then, through His personal relationship, do what he could to serve God.

What is the motive of your heart when it comes to ambition? Is it all about getting every thing we want? Or is our ambition directed towards kingdom building, love and service? God has given us abilities and desires for His service and pleasure. John Piper reminds us that “holy ambition” comes from God. Holy ambition is about serving God to the best of your abilities.

So, reflect on your motives. What are you pursuing and why? Is it to be famous, make a name for yourself or be successful? Or is your ambition directed at knowing God and using everything he has given you for His purposes? The truth can be quite challenging.