True Ambition

In today's world, lives are characterized by the amount of activity in them. Think about it. The last time someone asked you how you were, how long did it take for your reply to center around what you were doing, rather than the nature of your being. If you're like most people, probably not long. We measure our lives by what fills up our calendar (or our PDA's.)

The reasons for this may be profound, and for each of us, there might be some variations. However, the central cause may be because we've come to measure our lives based on what we can accomplish. We praise ambition in our children, because we think it bodes well for them in life. We look for the empolyee who completes their task, completely, and on time and is looking for the next assignment. These are good characteristics, and employers and parents rightly cultivate these in their charges. They aren't, however, the characteristics that God looks act. Instead, He has one criteria for evaluating the Christian's life - how much are they reflecting Christ? Is the person more like their Savior than they were yesterday? Are they seeking to demonstrate love, joy, and peace to an even greater extent. This is the ambition that He is mindful of and as His children, so should we.

It is a wonderful thing to have dreams and plans for what we want to accomplish. It's even better to have a high view of why we are accomplishing those things. May our eyes be ever fixed on Christ - that more of Him in our life, may be the one ambition we also seek to fulfill.