When Ambition Is Wrong

You shall not make for yourself an idol. . . . You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

–Exodus 20:4–5

Is it wrong to have goals and desires for your life? For example, is it wrong for an employee to want a promotion? Is it wrong for a stay-at-home parent to seek to go back to school for an advanced degree? Is it wrong for the pastor of a dwindling congregation to look for another church where he can serve God? Is ambition always wrong?

The Bible never belittles goal setting, perseverance, or determination. But I believe the Bible teaches that ambition can be wrong in certain situations.

For example, ambition is wrong whenever it becomes the predominant desire of our lives. I remember learning about a politician who was intent on becoming the leader of his political party. When he was forty-nine, he moved from the bedroom he shared with his wife into the basement so he could come and go without disturbing his family. Not long after, he announced to his children that he was divorcing his wife and leaving his family to remove any distractions that would keep him from achieving his goal.

Our culture often celebrates people who have that kind of determination. We worship the athlete who does whatever it takes to win the game. We promote the executive who works ninety hours a week. We celebrate the person who is willing to pay whatever price necessary to achieve their goals.

God sees things differently. He labels anything that consumes our attention and affection more than Himself as an idol. And God absolutely hates idols. Exodus 20:3–5 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

That’s the kind of devotion God wants from us. Whenever a goal takes His place and becomes the all-consuming passion in our lives, that ambition is wrong.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Declarations of Independence” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2009.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.