Ambition-- Best Christian Reason For Living

What ambitions have you had in the past? Or what goals have you had in your life? What did
you want to be and what did you want to accomplish?

Before I moved to Germany from the USA, I had the hope to experience a 1 Corinthians 13:4-8,
Ephesians 5 marriage for the first time and to develop a wonderful fulltime Internet ministry.
The former did not happen and the latter happened for 7+ years. Now my ambitions for Great
Commission ministries are keeping me busy fulltime +. I am so thankful to be back in my
homeland and not have to rely on a translator. But since October 4, 2010, I met about 200
individuals and at least told them my culture shock about Albuquerque people hoping that they
would be more thankful for others. Some of them seemed very ambitious, but most of the
elderly I have met and observes are just in survival mode. I thought about why and felt sad
when the Holy Spirit told me that most of them had been hard workers in most of their lives
before retiring. One was asked “How has he been doing? He replied, “Nothing special. Just
cruising each day.” But does hard work require being ambitious? And does not being able to
continue doing hard work prevent individuals being ambitious in new areas of activity?

Note: I wrote this on December 28, 1994 from the basic ideas I received from the Holy Spirit
(at about 3:30-4:00 A.M.).

“Ambition” means “strong desire to succeed or achieve something”. Worldly or

materialistic-thinking individuals are ambitious for wealth, power, or fame, at least enough to
persuade someone to love them or keep loving them. Construction workers, artists, computer
programmers, engineers, architects, teachers, athletes, police detectives, paramedics, and doctors
are usually the most ambitious individuals to succeed in using their special talents to build,
design, solve problems instruct or win. Sometimes I have envied individuals who told me what
structures they had helped build and some others who showed me crafts they had made. I could
not show anything of my accomplishments in teaching and curriculum development which was
as impressive. But I was wrong doing such thinking. Why did I choose to be ambitious in the
education field? The general question should be, “What kinds of ambition are God-pleasing?”
In other words, “What should be the purpose for living, desires, and hopes of a true Christian?”
What should we each be ambitious about?
I believe the answer to the just mentioned questions is best stated in Matthew 22:37-39.
“Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.'“ Are you ambitious for doing such unselfish love? Have you had good
experiences in sincerely (not superficially for pleasing others) loving God via prayer and
worship, as well as when meditating on His Word in the Bible? If you have, each time you were
blessed with the divine peace and joy that Romans 14:17 says is two-thirds of “the Kingdom of
God”. Also, after such unselfish and focused times of loving God, didn't you feel also like
encouraging or/and helping at least one other person without expecting anything in return? This
is why the “Two Great Commandments” were spoken in that order. God wants each of us to be
ambitious in loving Him and also unselfishly loving others, especially by ministering to them as
the Holy Spirit guides. Yes, after each time you truly at least think how thankful you are for
past blessings and protection from God and His promises for true Christians' future, you will
experience special peace, joy, and later inner urgings about what to say or/and do for others.
Don't you feel so good to be alive when you see good results after your efforts to encourage,
serve, teach or/and unselfishly do other forms of unselfish love for others? Do you feel
anywhere near as good when you solve a computer problem or get a paycheck or see a funny (or
romantic) movie or eat a very delicious meal (or dessert) or are affectionate with someone for
your pleasure? I hope your answer about such “blessings” in the last series is “no”. Now will
you make loving God your main ambition, if it is not already? Unselfish, God-pleasing
ambitions will always result from such love, guaranteed by God's Word in the Bible.

And now I am living the following again:

The Prayer of Jabez for You to Use
(compiled by Bill Stevenson-- May 31, 2001)

Note: Quotations are from the book “The Prayer of Jabez” by Bruce Wilkinson.

1. “Oh, that You would bless me indeed”-- Oh compassionate, generous God please bless me
with Your wonderful, unlimited goodness that only You have the power to know about
or give to me. Of course it is up to You to decide what the blessing will be, and where,
when, and how I will receive. I trust You completely, wanting nothing more and
nothing less than what You want to give me. I seek Your blessings as the ultimate value
in life because I just want to say and do what You want. I am so thankful for all of the
past blessings from You. My life is Your’s and I want it to bring more glory to You on
Earth.
2. “and enlarge my territory”-- God Almighty, enlarge my life so that I can make a greater
impact for You. “O God and King, please expand my opportunities and my impact in
such a way that I touch more lives for Your glory. Let me do more for You!” I want to
live out my faith much much more for others. I want You to give me “divine
appointments” for doing the good works that You already have planned for me to do,
ministering to those in need of spiritual encouragement, counsel, or/and exhortation. I
trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance and Your divine strength and wisdom. With Your
love, eliminate all fears that come into my mind in these new experiences and give me
Your courage. I will praise You for the miracles that happen during and after my
ministry opportunities.
3. “that Your hand would be with me”-- God, I need You so much in order to live for You
more and more. Please release Your power to accomplish Your will, so that You will be
glorified through seeming impossibilities of future ministries for me to do. Sustain and
continue the great things that You have begun in my life. “Father, please do this in me
because I can’t do it alone. It’s too big for me!” I will step out in faith with
supernatural enthusiasm, boldness, and power to do and say whatever the Holy Spirit
tells me. I want to depend completely on You, Abba Father.
4. “and that You would keep me from evil.”-- God, the great Protector, I ask for safekeeping
from evil. Because I easily trust others, especially those who seem friendly and respectful, I
am easily taken advantage of or mislead. I only want to say and do what pleases You and
learn/remember only eternal truths. Adam and Eve and many other believers in You in the
Bible were deceived about eternal truths and I have been too many times, so help me via the
Holy Spirit, the Bible, true Christian friends, and Your angels if necessary to keep me on the
narrow road of righteousness to Heaven. “Lord, keep me from making the mistakes I’m
most prone to when temptation comes. I confess that what I think is necessary, smart, or
personally beneficial is so often only the beautiful wrapping on sin. So please, keep evil far
from me!” “Lord, keep me safe from the pain and grief that sin brings. For the dangers that
I can’t see, or the ones that I think I can risk because of my experience (pride and careless-
ness), put up a supernatural barrier. Protect me, Father, by Your power!” “Lord, keep me
safe from temptations that pull at my emotions and my physical needs, that call out to my
sense of what I deserve, what I have the ‘right’ to feel and enjoy. Because You are the true
source of all that is really life, direct my steps away from all that is not of You.” Finally,
God, I know that You can’t protect me completely from the wiles of the spiritual and human
enemies, so please help me put on the Ephesians 6:10-18 spiritual armor by reminding me
 via the Holy Spirit of Your Truth, Righteousness, the Gospel, Faith, Salvation, and Your
other promises. Thank You for future blessings and Great Commission assignments.

C -- Christ, confession
H -- Holy Spirit help
A -- attitudes and actions
N -- needs
G -- good works (Ephesians 2:10)
E -- everywhere for eternity

C -- commitment to God's truth

O -- obedience to the Holy Spirit
U -- understanding God's desires
R -- revival spiritually
A -- attentiveness for opportunities to minister
G -- gratefulness to God, especially for His protection
E -- enduring in faith of our Lord Jesus Christ