Have you ever felt spiritual whiplash?
One moment, you’re singing a song about glorifying God and living humbly.
In the next, you’re inspired to hear a “God-sized” dream for the ambitious growth of a ministry - more people, impact, money, and status.
Well, which is it?
Should we focus on serving others and not worry about “God-sized” dreams?
Or does God want us to rely on him as we live by faith?
But how? And what does it mean to want to do something “for God”?
To arrive at an answer, we need to ask some fundamental questions — even if, at first glance, they challenge what seem to be obviously “Christian” perspectives.
So, let’s get into it.
First, can we be ambitious at all?
It might seem that the answer is no, not at all. After all, we’re taught to be humble (Philippians 2:1-11), content (1 Timothy 6:6-8), and servant-hearted (Mark 10:35-45).
But who is our ideal example? Well, as usual, it’s Jesus.
And across the Gospels, he explained to his disciples that he lived with unwavering purpose:
- Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17).
- For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
- But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose" (Luke 4:43).
- For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38).
After consulting many dictionaries, I think it’s fair to say that in the general sense, “ambition” refers to the desire to do or achieve something.
And, of course, God wants us to do and achieve things — just as Jesus undoubtedly did. Or as the Apostle Paul explained his commitment to getting things done:
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).
But this introduces our second question. When our primary models of ambition are Jesus and the apostle Paul, other disciples in the Scriptures, and the pastors, ministry leaders, and spiritual influences in our lives, then an implicit assumption can develop:
Godly ambition is limited to religious activity.
I’ve felt this pressure very strongly. It’s perhaps a primary reason why I’ve only served in vocational ministry. In my zeal to serve God, I’ve often felt that this intense desire to please God directed me to full-time ministry.
But every time I’ve checked this assumption against the Scriptures, it comes up short. Why?
Because it limits the work of God. Shouldn’t a Christian want to grow a business, make significant scientific discoveries, raise strong children, or create great art?
I think C.S. Lewis put it best in his essay “Learning in War-Time”:
It is for a very different reason that religion cannot occupy the whole of life in the sense of excluding all our natural activities. For, of course, in some sense, it must occupy the whole of life. There is no question of a compromise between the claims of God and the claims of culture, or politics, or anything else. God’s claim is infinite and inexorable. You can refuse it, or you can begin to try to grant it. There is no middle way.
Yet in spite of this it is clear that Christianity does not exclude any of the ordinary human activities. St. Paul tells people to get on with their jobs. He even assumes that Christians may go to dinner parties, and, what is more, dinner parties given by pagans. Our Lord attends a wedding and provides miraculous wine. Under the aegis of His Church, and in the most Christian ages, learning and the arts flourish. The solution of this paradox is, of course, well known to you. “Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
All our merely natural activities will be accepted, if they are offered to God, even the humblest, and all of them, even the noblest, will be sinful if they are not. Christianity does not simply replace our natural life and substitute a new one; it is rather a new organisation which exploits, to its own supernatural ends, these natural materials ( The Weight of Glory (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, 53-54).
With these two convictions, we can move ahead: our ambition must be a godly ambition, and it can be for any good cause.
But we’re still left with a niggling question: how do we evaluate our ambitions?
It’s lovely to say, “Well, does it resemble the example of Jesus?” and of course, we should ask that question.
But wouldn’t it be nice if there were some specific, detailed questions we could reflect on?
In today’s liturgical reading, James 3:13-18, the Scriptures provide clear guidance.
James writes:
Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
As James is explaining, what we need is wisdom — the ability to distinguish between godly and selfish ambition. Wisdom knows the difference between “good conduct” and “evil practice.”
Either way, James assumes we will have desires, habits, actions… a way of life. He doesn’t burden his brothers and sisters in Christ with an obligation to be pastors.
But he does point out that whatever they do with their lives, there are two ways to go about it: with heavenly wisdom or evil foolishness.
How can we tell the difference?
We have to train ourselves not to get swept up by all the typical tricks: charisma, rhetoric, and emotional appeals.
Instead, we need to evaluate the quality of someone’s life.
As I’ve reflected on this passage, here are the contrasts I see.
At first, it feels harsh to label one column ‘demonic guidance,’ and such strong language stings a little. However, as I continued to write out the pattern of selfishness that James described, it increasingly felt more than appropriate.
| Heavenly wisdom | Demonic Guidance |
|---|---|
| Good conduct | Evil practice |
| Gentleness | Bitterness |
| Good for others | Using others |
| Contented | Envious |
| Serving others | Dominating others |
| Transparent motives | Hidden motives |
| Pure-hearted | Manipulative |
| Dependent on God | Self-assertive |
| Peaceful | Disordered |
| Considerate | Selfish |
| Merciful | Harsh |
| Faithful | Calculating |
| Righteous | Unrighteous |
| Bears godly fruit | Tears people apart |
So, how can we stop feeling spiritual whiplash?
We need to think clearly — Biblically — about our ambitions.
First, what do you want to do with your life? Talk to God about it.
Second, ask the deeper question: What motivates that dream? Talk to God about that, too.
Third, keep going one more level: how will you pursue that vision?
As C.S. Lewis reminded us, every aspect of life can be lived for God’s glory when we know that our lives are lived in reference to… God!
Our Creator oversees it all. That includes the what, the why, and the how. Our ambitions might be religious or secular, notable or obscure, lucrative or without compensation.
The spiritual whiplash we sometimes feel comes not from having ambition but from confusion about its nature.
As I hope I’ve shown, the answer isn’t to abandon our dreams or to limit ourselves to explicitly religious work. Instead, it’s to bring every ambition - whether for ministry, business, art, family, or any other worthy pursuit - into humble alignment with God’s wisdom.
God doesn’t want us to be confused about his purposes. We don’t have to wait for a dream, a vision, or a new revelation.
When we faithfully read the Scriptures, we gain spiritual clarity.
It’s okay to dream big — if you’re going to serve God as the mayor of a city, the parent of some children, or a student at university, you probably need that capacity! But we must spend time with the Lord to work out in our hearts that we fulfill his purpose in our lives with humility, service, and love.
It’s when we live our lives under the authority of heaven that every ambition becomes another means to glorify God.
I’d love to hear from you:
- How do you define godly ambition?
- Have you ever felt pressured to do religious things to honor God?
- As you evaluate your ambitions in light of God’s wisdom, what do you learn?
- “Actions speak louder than words” — how carefully do you look at people’s lives before following their influence?