Lay Down Selfish Ambition

 ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves’
Philippians 2:3

In my last blog I wrote about Johann Bach and how I have been listening to his music to inspire me to give all the Glory to God in everything I do. I have been listening to his music whilst working (I’m listening now!) and it has helped me to know God’s presence, to remember my purpose and to stay focused and productive and not overwhelmed at certain times too.

Remembering to give the glory to God helps release us from our selfish ambitions and to follow Christ’s example. This time of year marks a personal milestone in my journey to become more Christlike and I’d like to take a moment to share a part of that story.  

I made quite an ambitious career decision seven years ago to leave my job and re-train for a completely different role. I thought it would make me happier, give me more control of my life and prove my worth to myself and those around me. I was forty and it meant I would be working in a competitive sales environment for the first time in my life. I was mostly working alongside younger team mates and worked extremely hard. In the space of four years I pushed myself to achieve high targets and ambitiously left two companies to take up promotions elsewhere and find a company that would appreciate me. My salary steadily increased, and I gained positive recognition from bosses and colleagues. However, I wasn’t glorifying God with my lifestyle, I wasn’t finding fulfillment and I was becoming increasingly disillusioned.

God burst that bubble when I had a fresh encounter of His love for me in April 2018 here at HTR! He began to change my heart and heal my hurts. As I continued to spend time with Jesus and feel His love and acceptance of me,  I no longer felt the need to prove myself and began to lay down my selfish ambition and to again seek to give God the glory in my life. This led to me leaving that job and I have since embraced very different roles here at HTR with wonderful opportunities to serve others above myself. It continues to be a humbling and liberating experience and I am so thankful to be a part of this wonderful church family.

I am grateful for the paths I have taken, the experiences I have had, for the role I have now and for God who turns everything for our good. Jesus sets us free to serve him and others and I hope I will continue to seek to humbly serve and value others above myself for the rest of my life.   
 
Let’s pray: Thank you Jesus that you are our one true purpose and that you love us so much. As we surrender our selfish ambition to you and humbly serve others around us, you can use us and turn our lives around. Amen