“Enoch . . had this testimony that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5 NKJV
“The ultimate ambition is this: to live a life with which God and you are well pleased.”
My thoughts today are about “the ultimate ambition.”
Ambition – don’t leave home without it. Ambition is a good thing when wisely chosen and rightly directed. Ambition directs your efforts and energy in the more profitable ways. It energizes you to be better than you would otherwise be. It motivates you to do a little more than others are willing to do – to sacrifice more, to work longer, to try harder, to give and do whatever it takes. Ambition keeps you on task. Ambition paints the picture of what you most want to achieve, allowing you to see it before you reach it. Ambition is your picture of what the future could look like.
Every person is finally the product of some differing measure of ambitions. Can you see how important it is that your ambition is pure as well as clear? Since you are drawn to your ambition, you must give careful thought to what direction it will take you and where you will likely end up. Whether you realize it at the moment or not, you make decisions based on your internal objectives. Desire influences decisions; decisions determine direction; direction decides destiny. That’s how simple everyday life really is. See Galatians 1:10 NIV.
Tragically, some have little or no ambition, just wandering – stumbling really – through life with no understanding of purpose, therefore little sense of direction. As tragic, are those whose ambition is misplaced and whose lives become misdirected, finishing nothing as they imagined at the start. You can succeed greatly and still miserably fail to be satisfied with your life at its end. Success is no guarantee of satisfaction.
Ambition is not usually singular but encompasses a broad scope of your life, including visions of what you will do, what you will have, and who you will be. Who you want to be is the most important of those, or you will get lost in your work or your possessions – until those will shape and eventually define who you are. That will rarely be the same as who you meant to be.
You must have one all encompassing vision of your future to which every other ambition submits. Let me suggest to you that the ultimate ambition is this: to live a life with which God and you are well pleased. Jesus is your shining example of such an ambition that is pure and clear, “For I always do what pleases Him.” John 8:29 NIV. That makes everything about life uncomplicated. God Himself announced Jesus’ success at His life-goal: “Jesus received honor from God the Father . . a voice came . . this is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:17 NIV.
I can almost hear you thinking, “How can I possibly do that? Yeah, but that was Jesus; I am far from divine.” But you can do that. God says you can, if you will. Listen to the Bible’s answer to yours and my dilemma. “And now, may God . . equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to Him.” Hebrews 13:20 NLT. See 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 NIV. That’s how Enoch was able to have “this testimony that he pleased God,” and the only way that you will as well.
My prayer for you today is this: make Jesus the center of your every desire. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 NIV.