Ambition. Is it a good thing to have or not?
I believe ambition is given to us by God and has roots deep in our very souls.
However, it does have the potential to be good or bad.
We’ve all seen ambitious people in both a positive and negative light, haven’t we?
The measurement of ambition in my own life simply looks like this:
Healthy Ambition: wanting to do my best.
Selfish Ambition: the need to be noticed.
I’m growing every day to understand that the pure joy of being human is about seeing the world from the perspective of goodness and believing in that goodness to make a difference.
As I’ve been watching former president, George W. Bush, and his recent interviews with Matt Lauer this week, it has reminded me just how much the world has changed since 911.
It doesn’t seem right that al-Qaeda–an organization that is run out of caves in Pakistan–instilled a value system to such an evil degree that people would fly planes into US buildings killing thousands of innocent people, drastically changing the world forever.
People did influence change in this instance.
Would you agree that the actions of these few changed the way the entire world functions? A new era of human history opened up on September 11, 2001. Evil, fueled by hatred, was strong enough on this particular day to literally change the world.
This makes me think: What could we do with resources fueled not by hate but rather love?
Can people really change the world? And, if so, then how? Perhaps it starts with the simple understanding that love and hate are already changing the world by the good or evil which flows out of the hearts of ALL people every day.
People CAN’T change the world; that’s God’s work–although we do have a huge part in joining him on this project. But people DO choose to take part in changing the world by choosing…
love or hate
goodness or evil
life or death
hope or despair
and so on…
The world is more malleable than we can ever imagine and we all play a part in shaping it for good or evil. So, perhaps the simplest of wisdom here might just be to START by believing this is true!
Need examples?
May we never stop believing in a better world, because LOVE HAS made it possible!
I’ve been wrestling lately with my call of being a pastor of 22 years; not with God’s call of me personally to pastoral ministry, but rather my understanding of what a pastor is and what I should be growing into as one.
When I think about everything I should represent as a pastor but don’t–I’m concerned.
When I reflect on how some pastors pastor today in the church community at large–I’m concerned.
I’ve often wondered if God might not be concerned.
The following reflections of Eugene Peterson below “rocked me” a couple of days ago. It resonated deeply with me and articulates partly a concern I have: of what being a pastor actually should mean and what it has come to mean in our culture today.
“The world of religion generates a huge market for meeting all the needs that didn’t get met in the shopping mall. Pastor’s are conspicuous (not present in a place they should be) in this religion marketplace and are expected to come up with the products that give customer satisfaction.
We easily slip into the routines of merchandising moral advice and religious comfort. Before long we find that we are program directors in a flourishing business. We spend our time figuring out ways to attractively display god-products. We become skilled at pleasing the customer.
Before we realize what has happened, the mystery and love and majesty of God, to say nothing of the tender and delicate subtleties of souls, are obliterated by the noise and frenzy of the religious marketplace.
But then who is there who will say the name of God in such a way that the community can see him for who he is and not the packaged and priced version that meets consumer needs?
And who is there with the time to stand with men and women, adults and children in the places of confusion and blessing, darkness and light, hurt and healing long enough to discern the glory and salvation being worked out behind the scenes, under the surface.”
If we all get caught up in running the store, who will be the pastor?
-Eugene Peterson, Living the Message, Sept. 20th
One of my favorite theologians, thinkers, and pastors is NT Wright, the Bishop of Durham. I love the wisdom and message he offers here to the next generation of christian leaders.
I’ve learned much at bible college and seminary for which I’m grateful for [totaling five+ years of my life in all]. But I think NT just summed up in ONE MINUTE what I spent YEARS hoping to learn:
How can I best follow Christ and pastor, and then inspire others to do the same?
Of all the “complicated schemes” that I’ve either been introduced to through training or just picked up myself–of what I should be working at and developing as a follower of Christ, christian leader, and pastor–these are so refreshingly simplistic and yet vital:
The bible, prayer, and loving people!
I still have much to learn but these inspire me. Praying they inspire you, too!
Pastor, teacher, thinker, father, and husband who believes the world is more malleable than we think and we can all help bend it into a better shape.
