Selfish Ambition

Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! What a mighty God we serve. He is God, our Creator, who knew us before He formed us in our mothers' wombs (Jeremiah 1:5). He goes before us and makes crooked places straight, and rough places smooth to make a way out of no way so that we may live the lives He has planned for us (Isaiah 43:19). Knowing and thanking God for all of this, we must be cautious not to create plans and shape identities of our own making for our lives that we elevate above the plans and personality that God has set for us (Genesis 5:1-2). Our lives are not our own. We each have a unique purpose that is part of God's great plan for Mankind. According to the word of God in, Romans 11:29, God's gifts and the call on each of our lives is irrevocable. I like the definition given by Dictionary.com for irrevocable: "not to be revoked or recalled; unable to be repealed or annulled; unalterable"

We cannot change God's plan. We cannot use our God given gifts to suit our own self-determined ambitions. It is what it is. 

We live in a world that encourages us to believe in ourselves first and most. We hear messages all the time that cheer us on to dream the impossible dream and to go get it. We literally make plans and real life decisions based on the desire to have it all, and the notion that we deserve the "it" that we are chasing. The inherent failure of such plans is that our lives are not our own. No matter how shrewd we may be, and fail safe we think our best plans are, they are plans set on a framework of a life in a world that is all in God's hands. He is the Creator and we are His creation. It is simply unwise and will prove futile to create desires for ourselves that honor the ideas and illusions of this world, and ignore or dishonor the desires of the Creator. 

Romans 1:25 NIV
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.


My encouragement today is for us all to do a heart check, to consider our ways (Haggai 1:5-6). Let's give thought to what our lives are about. What dreams are we chasing that are in conflict with the plan and personality that God has set within us? Are we hell bent on achieving what we hold up as a good life based on desires conceived for us and planted in us with the wisdom of the world, giving no consideration to the plan of God? Are these goals that we are trying to crush ones that require us to take on the selfish, proud, arrogant, immoral, lustful, envious attitudes of the culture, or does the mission for our lives thrive as we live in the wisdom and humility of Christ? I pray that every reader of this message will take time with an open heart to consider these questions today, with help from the word of God in James 3:13-17 NIV:
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

I pray today that we would each know God for ourselves and seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). "We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5 AMP). In the strong and powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Be Blessed!
~Nina

Declaration: I desire and am seeking the wisdom of God to personify the character of Christ and live in the fullness of God's plan for my life.