Ambition Across the Pages of Scripture

In a recent M3 Weekly article, we discussed a critical topic for leaders of missional enterprise: Ambition (see “Ambition Is Not A Dirty Word”). This week, let’s look at some of the main characters in the Bible and ask the question, “Were they ambitious?”

According to the definition of ambition as “the instinctual motivation to aspire to things, to make something happen, to have an impact, to count for something in life,” the obvious answer is “Yes, they were.” Think about a few main characters in the Bible and ask yourself if they were ambitious. David. Ambitious? Yes. Paul. Ambitious? Yes. Peter. Ambitious? Yes. John. Ambitious? Yes. Jesus. Ambitious?

The Ambition of Jesus

In an article in Christianity Today, author Katelyn Beaty says of Jesus: “Consider that Jesus, the only person to bear God’s image perfectly, was the most ambitious person to walk the earth.” Jesus lived his earthly life with a holy ambition to do the will of the Father.

John 5:19 (NIV)  Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

Recall the words of twelve-year-old Jesus to his parents when they finally found him in the temple after a three-day search: “. . . Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”1 Even at age twelve, Jesus is committed (is ambitious) to do and be all that the Father had for him.

Converted Ambition

Among followers of Jesus in the New Testament, we see dramatic transformations in their ambitions because of the impact of Christ on their lives. Before coming to faith, Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) was certainly ambitious.

Acts 8:3 (NIV)  But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

However, on the road to Damascus, everything changes, including his ambitions:

Philippians 3:14-15 (NIV)  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Paul is probably more ambitious than ever after coming to faith. Jesus draws Paul to himself and puts Paul through a discipleship training program like no other. Paul becomes a man of deeper faith and greater ambitions. He gains the faith to trust Christ with his life and gains the ambition to see many come to faith.

We see similar transformations in the ambition of Peter, James, and John. A few days before the death and resurrection of Jesus, James and John come to Jesus and ask a favor, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”2 On the night of Jesus’s death Peter denies Jesus three times, just as Jesus predicted.3

However, after they all experience the death and resurrection of Jesus, they are transformed into bold and ambitious disciples of Christ.

Acts 4:19-20 (NIV)  But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

The transformation is amazing. The ambition in all these people remains, but it is transformed by their experience of Christ. They go from being ambitious for themselves to being ambitious for the Kingdom.

The question remains for us: Has our ambition been converted? Has our experience with Jesus converted our self-ambition into ambition for His Kingdom?

In a coming article, we’ll discuss ways we can evaluate the nature of our ambition. Stay tuned.

Verse of the Week:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 (NIV)

Let’s resolve to live and lead with converted ambition this week, and pray that our ambition for Jesus would make a transforming impact.