Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 11:0

Even without modern distractions and false images of success, our ancestors in Genesis quickly moved from an ambition rooted in stewardship to believing the lie that the world and all the gifts and talents they were given were their own. I wonder if this is where ambition became a dirty word for Christians? In the story of the Tower of Babel, we see God’s people taking what God gave them—the ability to communicate, engineering skills, and production capabilities—and using them for their own selfish desires and comfort. This is how we have mistakenly seen ambition: working for our own gain.

Right from the beginning, God had made it clear that he wanted his people to fill the earth and subdue it (Gen. 1:28). They were to spread out, have babies, create, develop, and flourish. They were to be stewards of the earth, and instead they saw an opportunity to take what God gave them and stay put. For them, success looked like a big tower where all the power and resources were centralized for their own comfort and fame. I’m fairly certain too many of us Christians have lost our way in similar fashion.

The lines between stewarding our gifts, faithful ambition, greed, and selfishness fade and get distorted. How many of us have started out hoping to heal people, write about God’s grace, or open up our doors freely to our neighbors but found ourselves drowning in our personal wants and comfort?

As always, God gives his people in ancient times and in the present a correction. Ambition isn’t about creating a name for ourselves. It’s stewardship, using fully and faithfully all that God has given us for his purposes, whether it’s to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, or to care for the orphans and widows in our neighborhoods. Or both.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How have you lost your way in stewarding all God has given you? How had you wanted to use your skills, finances, and experiences for God’s kingdom and where has ambition and stewardship given way to personal comfort and gain?

PRAYER: God, you are the giver of life and all that is within me. Thank you for entrusting me with the skills and material wealth and for the opportunity to return those gifts to you in faithfulness. Give me the wisdom and humility each and every day to catch myself when my selfish desires for fame, fortune, or even comfort take over my chance as an ambitious steward. Amen.

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Ambition

Is ambition positive, neutral, destructive, or fallen but redeemable? Does ambition interfere with Christian witness? What is the difference between being called and being driven? And why does it matter? Does it matter? Western culture values a strong work ethic, and we encourage our children and their children to strive and work toward success. Have we put our focus in the right place? Join us for this High Calling series that we’ve titled simply, Ambition.

Featured image by SOMBILON ART & PHOTOGRAPHY. Used with Permission. Source via Flickr.