{"id":3162,"date":"2026-08-11T20:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?p=3162"},"modified":"2026-08-11T20:52:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:52:07","slug":"redeeming-ambition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/11\/redeeming-ambition\/","title":{"rendered":"REDEEMING AMBITION"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I want my life to matter. In fact, I think everyone I\u2019ve ever met wants the same thing. No one sets out hoping for a mediocre life. Mediocrity happens, for sure, but it\u2019s rarely the desire of the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something in us that wants to do well with the life we\u2019ve been given. We want to grow, accomplish something meaningful, make a difference, and know that our lives counted for something. And I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything wrong with that. God created us with the capacity to grow, create, lead, build, serve, and pursue excellence. There is something good about wanting to become all God created us to be and to do something significant with what He has placed in our hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know I want that for my life. I want to keep growing, to do meaningful work, to accomplish worthwhile things, and to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But my ambition deserves careful attention. Because the desire to do great things can come from very different places in the heart. Ambition can be godly, but it can also become selfish. The difference is often found in what\u2019s driving us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul offers a strong warning about this in his letter to the church in Philippi: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.\u201d <\/em>\u2014 Philippians 2:3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul doesn\u2019t condemn ambition itself. He warns us about selfish ambition<\/strong>, the kind that is driven by pride, recognition, comparison, or the desire to build a name for ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That distinction matters, especially because Paul later wrote: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known\u2026\u201d <\/em>\u2014 Romans 15:20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul worked hard. He traveled extensively, planted churches, developed leaders, endured hardship, and gave himself fully to the work God had entrusted to him. He wanted to accomplish something significant with his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the issue wasn\u2019t whether Paul had ambition. He did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deeper issue was what his ambition was for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul wasn\u2019t trying to make Paul known. He wanted to make Jesus known. His ambition wasn\u2019t centered on building his own name, advancing his own reputation, or proving his own significance. His life was aimed at something greater than himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where ambition becomes a matter of the heart. That\u2019s why I think one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is simply this: What\u2019s motivating me?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two people can pursue the same goal, work equally hard, and even achieve similar results while being driven by very different motives. One may be trying to faithfully steward an opportunity God has given them. Another may be driven by recognition, position, significance, or the need to prove something. From the outside, things may look the same. But God sees the heart.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I have to be willing to ask myself some honest questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n