Ambition or Faith?

We walk a fine line between ambition and faith. Faith tells us to walk through open doors and take steps of trust in areas where God leads us. Ambition tells us to work every angle and push doors open by sheer will and hard work.

I struggle with the concept of ambition vs. faith quite often. Is God telling me to move ahead and market myself and my ministry or is it simply my own ambition?

I know myself; I know that I enjoy reaching people and touching lives that need encouragement and hope. But I've burned out in the past trying to do everything for everyone and all it really resulted in was lost time. And I'm left with the question: Was I operating by faith or ambition?

Many people in my age group (those who have been in the workforce for longer than 10 years) find themselves asking this same question. Many times they decide to keep striving, keep moving onward and upward in their quest for meaning in their lives. They find themselves in jobs they learn to hate because it pays well and has good benefits. Lifestyle choices convince them that they have to keep running on the hamster wheel of work and stress to maintain it.
When they get exhausted they resort to retail therapy, expensive vacations, toys, and finally, to therapy in the hopes of finding relief.

Is this what Scripture intended when it stated, "If a man does not work, neither shall he eat."?(II Thessalonians 3:10).

I don't think so.

Our faithfulness to God requires us to be obedient. Absolutely. But our society tells us that money will buy cool stuff and a great life, which is not necessarily true. Many folks I know have lots of money and are not as happy as we think they are.

This last week I asked several clients and friends if they thought God was subtle in their lives. Did they have to strive to hear God and feel panic that they had to stop everything to hear His 'still, small voice'?

Every one of them said no! God was not shy in any of their lives in guiding them into the right decisions for them. If anything, each one had to force themselves to sit back and relax until God led them. In the meantime, no one went without blessing- not one!

It reminds me of a conversation my daughter Kari had with a classmate in high school:
C: "So, Kari, do you have a job?"
K: "No, why do I want a job?"
C: "So you can get a car."
K: "Why do I need a car?"
C: "So you can get to work."

See the quandry? Are we to work too hard doing something we don't like to earn money to pay for stuff we're too exhausted to enjoy?

I want a legacy of proper investment in my life. That investment doesn't necessarily involve new cars (I'd love a new car!), or great vacations (I'd love a vacation, too). It does include being healthy enough to bless God and others, to have enough money to tithe, pay my bills, and donate a few bucks here and there when needed.

The answer to the question of ambition vs faithfulness = Which of the two choices bring contentment?
I Timothy 6:6 says, 'For godliness with contentment is great gain.'

I've decided to focus on contentment; God will certainly (and NOT subtly!) guide me in the work I am to do or to leave for someone else to accomplish.

Enough deep thought- I'm going to take a nap.

Deep Thoughts

I haven't had the desire to write lately.
My former (and first) pastor, John Erenz, suffered a massive heart attack last Wednesday, September 30, and could not be resuscitated. The news was totally unexpected; he'd been active and vital up until the very end.
Don and I were notified that same day along with details regarding the funeral. That meant I had a week to prepare and to begin the grieving process.
I mourned the loss of the man who, despite having no biological children of his own, could claim many of his former church members as 'adopted' into his family. His (and his wife Judy's) heart was so big he welcomed everyone into it.
I met John and Judy Erenz when I was 15 years old and had just accepted Christ as my personal Savior. They invited me to church and the youth group. Almost every experience in my younger years somehow involved Pastor John.
Pastor John always had time for me. Even when he didn't have time he had time. Often when life at my own home was unbearable I knew I could find refuge with him and Judy.
I learned so many things about integrity and faithfulness. I learned that no matter what everyone else was doing it was imperative to be obedient to what God wanted me to do. And the only way I could learn how to be obedient was to read the Bible.
Pastor John insisted I go to Bible college. But he also protected and supported me while I was there. It was so dramatic being a teenager!
There are so many stories I could share about my experiences with Pastor John. Each one reminds me that God brings people into our lives to have an affect on us and to help us along.
One thing I have always been militant about is that I have never missed sending Pastor John a Father's Day card. In 37 years I have never missed sending a carefully selected card- and Judy told me that he saved every one of them.
I know I'm not the only person on whom Pastor John kept a file of cards and notes. But I felt so special knowing how important my thoughts toward him were to him.
I've felt numb since receiving the tearful phone call from Judy telling me that PJ had died. Loss and pain mixed with joy that he finally, at 67, gets to sit down and chat with Jesus and Paul and Charles Spurgeon among others. He isn't getting tired of singing all 4 verses of every hymn in every hymnal. Maybe he'll finally be able to play his trumpet and actually reach the high notes without the angels plugging their ears.
As I found my seat in the First Baptist Church of Pecatonica, IL I looked around and noticed many familiar faces along with many folks I'd never seen before. All of these people were former or current friends of Pastor John. Many local pastors shared how much he helped them during difficult times in their own churches.
He'd always wanted everyone to get together for bonfires and dinners and holidays. I couldn't stop thinking, "Pastor John would have loved this. He'd have loved all these people getting together to sing and reminisce and maybe even shed a few tears over him. He'd have gloried in the lives he'd been able to reach in his years of serving the Lord. "
So Pastor John, good job. I will always remember you and what you've meant to me.
I will miss you so much, yet I know we will be reunited in heaven. You'll tell me what you've been up to and I'll tell you my stories. Maybe we'll reminisce about the 'old days.'
Thanks for everything Pastor John. Come good home.