Holy Ambition

How do you feel about being ambitious? If you have an eager desire for rank, fame, or power, that's the definition of being ambitious. If so, are you okay with that being the driving force of your life? We should feel good about setting high-minded goals for ourselves and achieving them, but would you say that setting high-minded goals and striving to accomplish them equal the same thing as being ambitious? What is the difference between those who have an eager desire for rank and fame and those who seek to set a high standard of excellence in whatever they do in life?

Maybe those two are the same in some peoples' minds. However, I want you to pay close attention to the definition, "an eager desire for rank, fame, and power." These words point to those who live by them as being driven to raise their level of self-importance through increasing their celebrity status and dominance over and above other people. And that is possibly what drove Jesus' disciples and brothers, James and John, to argue about who was the greatest between them.

In Mark 10:35-45, Jesus let those brothers know about seeking special placement next to him in his kingdom and the cost that comes with it. Jesus also dealt with how he expects his chosen leaders to achieve spiritual greatness, authority, and high ranking, and how different they are lived out for his followers versus those who follow this worlds' ambition. Which way will you choose?