We’re all driven women here who love Jesus, so let’s just address the elephant in the room:
We all wonder sometimes--or OFTEN--if our ambition is okay.
Am I honoring God Almighty and advancing HIS Kingdom with my ambition?
Or am I making my ambition about ME and pursuing things for the wrong reasons?
I had a friend this past week who said to me:
" You Know Stephanie, When it comes to you, your not just pointlessly talking to talk or just running your mouth --your more like preaching, talking, leading, healing, helping, teaching, shepherding and trying to lead all to the only one who can save, CHRIST [Jesus]; with every word you speak.
Your Quick To Listen, Observe, Help and Learn; and Slow To Speak, Even Slower To Voice Your Thoughts, Wants, Perspectives and Opinions; and Even Slower To Wrath and Anger. Your A Very Rare and Gentle Soul.
You research everything like nobody I've ever known or met before; constantly reading, studying, digesting, taking in, breaking down, searching and analyzing Sound Doctrine.. Scriptures.. Biblical Prophecies.. The Word Of God Almighty.. and The Apocrypha [Biblical Books- Apocryphal Texts]. Constantly Keeping Your Eyes Peeled and Fixated On God Almighty Yahweh, Through Our Lord and Savior Yeshua Hamashiach [Jesus Christ].
Your a giver and never a taker. You give even when you have nothing left to give. A natural caregiver and nurturer, taking care of everyone.. of all that you possibly can, everywhere that you go. You go around trying to help everyone you encounter, and even have counseled and mentored people for free.
Your like a living talking [preaching] breathing [helping and teaching] walking sermon giving machine [lol]. "
(because if you know [Pastor] Stephanie Blackburn, then you know she speaks PASSIONATELY about God in the very best way)-- Especially on this very topic.
Enjoy! And check out the giveaway at the bottom! ;)
Flapping vs. Soaring: Removing Self from Ambition
By: Pastor Stephanie [AIGGM]
I’m not a bird person. I know this is a weird way for me to introduce myself, but I promise I have a reason and point. I don’t think anything traumatic happened in my childhood, but truthfully, I scream louder for a bird than I do when there’s a spider or bug. Probably as loud [if not louder] as when I see a snake. (I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m the weird one, a long long time ago. lol.)
But even I, a bird avoider, will stop and marvel at the majesty of an eagle flying overhead. There is a drastic difference, though, between an eagle’s effortless soar and the frantic flapping of every other ordinary bird.
And to me, that’s the picture in my head that illustrates the difference between what selfish ambition and godly ambition looks and feels like. The difference between striving and surrendered effort. Between stressed ambition and dependent ambition.
Frantic flapping vs. steady soaring.
“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
Ambition is not bad. But because there is so much caution against selfish ambition in Scripture, ambition tends to be a confusing topic among believers. But it’s self that takes us in the wrong direction—not ambition.
Like all good things, without God as the solid foundation, ambition can get misplaced — which can turn our ambition, (which is good!) into a distraction from what matters most.
Here’s a quick quiz to test your ambition, straight out of "AIGGM-She Works His Way: A Practical Guide for Doing What Matters Most in a Get-Things Done World":
Is it difficult for you to be happy when someone else succeeds?
Is it tough for you to turn your brain off/rest/slow down?
Do you struggle to listen to others?
Do you try to do God’s work without God?
Do you frequently dream of getting your “big break?”
Do you often pursue something new after watching someone have success?
Do you equate your purpose in life with your achievements?
** Count up how many times you answered “yes” and that will give you an idea of how much 'self ' is wrapped up in your ambition. (Just remember that this exercise will only be as helpful as you are willing to be honest!) **
So how do we keep our ambition pure?
How do we soar instead of flap?
Here are three ways:
1. Let the potential for the gospel determine your ambition.
The apostle Paul put it this way: “and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand”. (Romans 15:20-21).
Loving God and loving others will absolutely require your ambition. So, stay ambitious—just let the potential for the gospel, not the potential for self, lead your ambition.
2. Aim at increasing your faith – not increasing your ambition.
Absent from a growing relationship with Jesus, ambition will naturally gravitate toward selfish ambition. Growing faith will see Christ more than self. Plus, faith emphasizes what Jesus has done instead of putting the focus on what we have to do. The more aware we become of how Jesus truly changes everything, godly ambition will be a natural byproduct of increased faith.
Consider the disciples: they scattered in fear when Jesus was arrested, but when he appeared to them after the resurrection, they went from cowards to bold witnesses, all being martyred or exiled for their refusal to stop being ambitious for the gospel. Increased ambition wasn’t the catalyst for the change – but increased faith.
3. Godly ambition will be ambitious for what God is doing through others – not merely what God is doing through you.
When Jesus took every law and condensed it to loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40) He made the law easier to remember, but more challenging to live.
Our ambition is not separate from this command, so godly ambition will not be contained to merely where we’re personally involved or personally benefit. Because ambition is active, not passive, godly ambition will intentionally and purposefully aim to grow others, out of love for Christ, far more than simply aiming to grow our own influence.
So for the ambitious Christ-followers: please don’t stop being ambitious. Just refuse to flap in your own strength. Soar – and let the world be in awe of what God can do.
I’m rooting for you!
Pastor Stephanie and The AIGGM Team’ prayer in The Study Unit and Mentorship: "She Works His Way: A Practical Guide and Workshop for Doing What Matters Most in a Get-Things-Done World" - is for God to set women free from the bondage of trying to be everything the world expects them to be while also aiming to be the woman He created them to be - and that they will just aim to be His. They all share the lessons they've learned that challenged life, relationships, themselves, employment and education and culture's good things [etc..], so they could find the greatest thing: God Himself. And it can be your [life] story too.
Giveaway:
Pastor Stephanie’s so sweet to give one of you a free admission to workshop, mentorship, counseling [etc..]! To enter the giveaway, simply email:
and just enter your name/email/address! You don’t have to do anything else to enter. :)
As Stephanie always says, Lord, keep my hustle holy! (Amen!)
Love You All Always and God Bless Ya'll!
AIGGM
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