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Righteous Ambition

“I just want God to use me for something great.” At first reading, these words may seem like the bigheaded musings of an immature Christian. You might imagine someone like James or John thinking this way when their mother asked Jesus if her boys could sit at his right and left hands when he brings about his kingdom. Indeed, the idea of striving to be something great for God seems to go against the very teaching of Jesus. Just look how he responded to James and John’s mother: “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,” (Matt. 20:21, 26–27). So, at first glance, it looks like the proper answer to anyone who wants to be used by God for great things in this world is, “Sorry man, we just don’t do think that way around here.” 

But wait, there’s more to this picture than meets the eye. Jesus didn’t say it was wrong to desire greatness in God’s kingdom. He just said that greatness comes differently in his kingdom than it does in this world. There is greatness for which Christians should strive, a Christ-honoring greatness that comes in the form of serving others. Seeking to attain this kind of greatness is a  truly righteous ambition. 

We see this ambition in the early church as they served the world by tenaciously spreading the gospel message of Christ everywhere they went. They sacrificed their ordinary lifestyles so they could care for one another and for those who did not yet know Christ. You can see this kind of tenacity in Paul’s writings. He inspires his readers to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). He urges his readers to build on the foundation of Christ in a way that will last through the ages (1 Cor. 3:12–15). He challenges his readers to live disciplined lives, the way an elite athlete might, but for heavenly glory rather than earthly glory (1 Cor. 9:24–27). Think about that for a minute. Think about the intentionality, the sacrifice, the determination, the “blood, sweat, and tears” that go into training for top-level athletic events. Now, think about putting that kind of effort into being the greatest servant of the gospel of Christ you can possibly be. If you are looking for permission to be great in God’s kingdom, you just got it. Strive to be an Olympic-level servant of Christ! 

But wait, there’s more. You aren’t the only one. The Christian life is a team sport. We strive together for greatness. You don’t have to carry all the weight yourself. We share the load. This means that whether young or old, rich or poor, healthy or infirm, well-read or streetwise, as a Christian you are part of a team, a body, that works together to be great in serving. So let each one of us cultivate a righteous ambition. Let us be great in serving. Let us be great for the sake of the gospel and the glory of the Lord. And, in the end, we will stand on the winner’s podium together celebrating our victory in Christ for all time.  

Pastor Josh

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FOCUSED

One of the casualties of aging to which I find myself a victim is the dimming of the eyes.  Ecclesiastes 12 counsels the young person to remember God, their Creator, in their youth before the aging process takes over and various faculties, as listed in verses 1-7, are diminished.

Clear eyesight when we are young may be something we take for granted. However, as we age the realization that our vision is not as sharp as it once was takes hold. “Readers” become standard fare for all intricate tasks. Our once keen laser sharp focus is now blurry and in need of help to restore its youthfulness. That restoration is found through glasses or some sort of rejuvenating surgery. Especially in the early stages of this degenerative eye problem we may be able to fake it and get by, but eventually we must relent and do something to correct the problem.

There is a parallel between physical and spiritual vision. “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” was written in the early 20th century. The hymn writer, Helen Lemmel, was strongly influenced by the artist and later little-known missionary, Lilias Trotter. Miss Trotter started off as an aspiring artist but early on felt a call from God to reach the lost. She began her ministry by rescuing prostitutes from the streets of London. Later she went to Africa, without missionary funding, and served for over forty years. While there she penned a poem that would greatly influence the writing of the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  The poem was entitled “Focused: A Story and Song.” 

The poem centers around focusing one’s attentions fully and completely upon God. She writes that Satan knows that if a person uses all their powers of concentration on being led by God’s Spirit, they will have a great intensity and impact upon those to whom they are called to minister. Lilias Trotter, writing in a more formal use of the English language than we are accustomed, shares some timeless insights which could very easily have been written today but with a different accent. She writes: “Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once—art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the ‘good’ hiding the ‘best’ even more effectually than it could be hidden downright frivolity with its smothered heartache at its own emptiness.”

The “good” hiding the “best” leads us to emptiness.  Could this be true of us today especially as American Christians? Have we sought the “good” while missing the “best”? The chorus of the hymn, which we will be singing in worship this Sunday, says it best.

                Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,                                                                                                                                        And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Keith Pate

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