Key Verse:
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
(I Thessalonians 4:11-12)
Central Truth:
Your secret ambition in life is shown through the choices you make.
SECRET AMBITION
When I was studying this chapter, these two verses just jumped out at me. Paul is very direct in these two verses (then again, when is Paul not direct?...but that's why I like him). He is talking about our life's ambition. How many times do we hear that the reason something hasn't worked out is because that person/business wasn't "ambitious" enough. Our culture has put such a twisted view on ambition and what should be the focus of our ambition. Our culture says - ambition will get us ahead financially, on the ball field, at our workplace, or at school. Yet, someone who is too "ambitious" gets criticized as well. So, what is the truth about ambition?
Ambition is defined as an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth and the willingness to strive for its attainment. In these verses, Paul tells us that our ambition is to lead a quiet life, to mind our own business, and to work, so that we may win the respect of outsiders and so that we will not be dependent on anybody. Whoa! That is different from the "ambition" that our culture champions. I think the key is focus.
What is the focus of your ambition? Is it to get ahead and earn these temporary accolades and distinctions at work or school, or is it to achieve the distinction of being a true Christ-follower that lives a life that pleases Him? Like it or not (and there are many days that I don't want to hear this), our calendar, our checkbook and our relationships show what our true secret ambition is. My prayer for today is that my secret ambition will be the same as the ambition that I often give "lip service" to . . . that inside and out, in all that I do, how I spend my time, the relationships I invest in, and how I spend my money, will be a life that reflects my ambition of being a Christ follower, a true disciple.
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Thanks you Jana for this so important insight into what TRUE ACHIEVEMENT is......we are so stressed and pushed today to WIN the approval of the World in ways that God did not intend. We teach our children the same erroneous "principle" when we don't stress the right values for the right purposes. There needs to be a Teaching series on the REAL contrasts between the World's way and Christ's way of achieving true Success. Even Christians don't "respect" those who don't have a paycheck big enough, or drive the right car, or live in the right neighborhood.....we have been so programed for "excellence" that the teaching of WHY we are to be "excellent" in our work ethics is LOST in what result we should be achieving from working hard. Respect from the world these days is not what you should want.......Respect from Achievements which are secular and not spiritual are so prevalent....that it makes it hard to teach your kids the difference. Thank you for this insightful clarification...........let's hope we can make our kids understand that God is the one to get our "good and Faithful Servant Award" from instead of the world.
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