Among the greatest enemy’s of faith is ambition. How many flames of faith are quenched out ofan unwillingness to set aside ambition? Ambition is pride’s slave. Where would pride be if it did not have ambition to do its bidding? Remember the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21-22. “Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (NIV)
It was his love of wealth which kept him out of the kingdom. Similarly, for many it is ambition, with its many tentacles of greed, power-mongering, selfishness – all rooted in pride – which keep them out of the kingdom or struggling to find the power of the kingdom in their lives, though they have come to Christ. Faith is held captive by worldly ambition.
I took this little snapshot today of a tree in early springtime just about to bud flowers. For our purposes here I have title it “Faith held captive by ambition’s cold winter.” When the cold dissipates the flower will bloom. Similarly, when we surrender our ambition to the Lord’s will and use whatever measure of success we have in this world for the cause of Christ, our faith is freed to bloom. We will never know the power of faith in God through Jesus Christ, until our heart’s ambition is to surrender to Him rather than serve that cruel taskmaster – pride.
