01 | 4 Principles to help you navigate ambition & work.
Let's face it: we all have ambition.
Ambition's definition is, "having a strong desire to achieve something, typically through determination and hard work."
At the core of every human, we all are driven to achieve something in life. This is especially true for those of us who are brand new to the workplace. Whether it's making a certain amount of money, having a certain job title, or possessing more influence, all of us in our 20s have some sort of future point in our lives where we think we will have "arrived." That begs the question, once we have hit our "arrival point," what is next?
I'm imagining a couple questions floating in your mind about this topic. First, as a follower of Jesus, is it wrong to have ambition? Second, if it isn't wrong, how can I filter my ambition through a Biblical lens?
I've outlined 4 guiding principles to help you navigate your ambition as someone who desires to follow Christ as a young professional!
Principle #1: Define your ambition.
I know, this is where being super honest with yourself is important. Philippians 2:3 is clear, "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit." Notice how ambition itself is not the enemy, rather, it is the motivation behind it: selfishness.
Are you motivated to get stuff done at work because you want the raise so you can spend more money on yourself? Are you forcing yourself into situations or projects because you think you can manipulate the outcome to your advantage?
Be careful! The way of Jesus is selfless, not selfish.
Principle #2: Biblical ambition is content in obscurity.
This is a daily battle for me and I can imagine for you. You want to be known. As someone new to professional life, you want to make a difference. You want to prove that you have what it takes, so more people respect you, are impressed with you, and follow you. Additionally, you want to accomplish all of that in the fastest time possible.
One of the core aspects of the Gospel is this: you can have freedom from seeking the approval of people. By accepting Christ's invitation to life in His Kingdom, you have essentially said, "Jesus, I choose to lay aside everything that I have desired in life and I now want to fully trust everything you have done and are desiring to do in my life." He has given you a new life. The mission you now have in Him is to make Him known in all areas of life, including work.
Because of this truth, you can now view your work differently. You can be faithful to work with joy and excellence in the tasks you previously complained about. You can take the lead in honoring your coworkers, the ones who are easy to honor and the ones who may be difficult to honor.
You can be content to work in obscurity, because God has promised in 1 Peter 5:6 that He will exalt humble people in His timing. There's no rush. No need to impress anybody. Stay humble, and trust God's process.
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Principle #3: Biblical ambition is others-focused.
Paul continues to write in Philippines 2:3, "but in humility, consider others more important than yourselves." This hits home as a young professional. I've fallen into the trap at work of starting with thinking how this decision, initiative, or project will impact myself, my team or my community, rather than beginning with thinking how this decision, initiative, or project may impact other teammates, departments, and communities.
It's amazing what happens at work when you begin to be intentional in starting with the other person in mind.
Humility leads to deeper impact and influence.
Be a platform for people, don't seek a platform from them.
Principle #4: Direct your ambition into the present.
As a 20 something, we love fantasizing about the future. That's not necessarily bad, but if we spent the majority of our thinking around the future, it can blind us from what God may want to teach and speak to us today. Jesus meant it when He said, "don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34).
You have an opportunity today to step into life with the living Christ while doing your work. Make it your ambition today to live to honor Him, and He will guide your steps in your tomorrow!
Let me know in the comments what you would add that I missed. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Well-Being Coordinator at Cigna Healthcare
11 个月I found the article very engaging. Thank you for sharing, Will! I agree with your explanation of what ambition means at this stage of life - for twenty-somethings who want to follow Jesus and find fulfillment and purpose in life. Principle # 4 is the most challenging for me on this list. I am so hopeful for the future but must heed the words of Jesus when he tells us to not be concerned about what is to come and to rather be present and hopeful for what is right in front of us. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 12:13 which states, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." For today, my ambition is to fear God and keep his commandments. I trust that His providence will govern my steps. Thank you again for sharing!
Optimizing Wealth Through Real Estate | Human Capital | Talent | Culture
12 个月Great job Will! Very thoughtful and well written. Principle #2 resonates with me but in a slightly different way. Growing up I often felt overlooked (que the short joke) which instilled a drive and a perfectionist mentality that led to me wanting/seeking approval. Recently, my mind has wrestled with the thought that I was never afraid to fail, but I feared disappointing those that rely on me or those that are directly impacted by me/my performance. Maybe this impacted or played a part in my constant search for approval. It's still baffles me how quick or easy it was for me to seek approval from my parents, teachers, coaches, or even co-workers. That was my first thought instead of resting in the truth that I served a God who loved me unconditionally without any strings attached to performance. I'm proud of you for the impact you are making on those you serve daily. Keep up the great work.
Director of Business Development
12 个月Wow, this was spot on! I feel that these four guiding principles resonate deeply with individuals in their twenties, but could also hold relevance for anyone beyond that demographic as well. While reading, I found myself revisiting the closing line of principle 3. Often, individuals, myself included, tend to view their departments and community as separate entities (the “others”) in the workplace. However, you make a compelling argument for broadening one's perspective to include not only internal colleagues but also other departments and communities beyond that! That's ambition! I definitely needed this read as I prepare to join a team and enter the business world!