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Leadership – Ambition (part two)

Being ambitious to bring God glory is one thing, to bring yourself glory is destructive.  Notice some characteristics of misplaced ambition and their consequences. 

1. (Psalm 131:1-2) A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.  Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

     *Is your heart haughty?  Does pride fill you so that you have an elevated view of yourself.  God will resist the proud but give grace to the humble.  While on deputation, please do not let pride fill your heart.

     *Are your eyes lofty?  With your elevated view of yourself, do you look down upon others? Do you feel you are too good for jobs the pastor may ask you to do?

    *Do you get involved in conversations and activities that are too high for you?  When with a group of pastor’s do you know how to keep your mouth shut or do you feel a compulsion to say something?  Many missionaries on deputation are placed in an elevated role of leadership without having learned first to be a submissive follower.

 2.  Seeking ambition for yourself is empty – (Job 20:5-9) That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?  Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;    Yet he shall perish forever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.      (Job 24:24)  They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.   

3.  Selfish ambition brings strife – (James 4:1-2)  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

You and I are to build our brothers name. We are to lift up one another.  We are to prefer one another.  When my ambition turns inward rather than Godward, I cease caring for my breathren and the Lord.  I begin to care only about myself.  How will you build your brothers name today?  Is it ok if another missionary is bragged on more than you are?  Missionary wife, are you jealous of another missionary family?  Does another wife’s husband get talked about more than yours?  Do their children “dress better”?  

May God help us to keep our motives and minds clear as we journey down the deputation trail.  You guys know I love you and pray that God uses you in a great way as you seek Him.    

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