Ambition – Part 2
(Discussion Notes Below)
The Lie: Ambition is the fuel for personal success
The Truth: Ambition is a gift for Kingdom impact
Ambition: a working definition, “A strong desire which leads to a willingness to overcome and fight through obstacles, to achieve a desired outcome.”
Review:
1. Ambition is a good thing. God gives us ambitious assignments. Genesis 3 – we are called to rule and reign. Matthew 28 – we are called to go to the whole world and make disciples.
2. Ambitions should be oriented for God’s kingdom.
3. Ambitions disorient – You can try to become the greatest (disciples in the Upper Room) or you can become lazy and waste your talents (Parable of the Talents).
Nehemiah: A Case Study of Holy Ambition
Nehemiah was in exile and he served the King of Babylon. Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the broken down walls of Jerusalem. He lived around 400 BC.
Nehemiah is one of my favorite character studies and he was an exceptional leader. One reason Nehemiah is accessible as a leader is because there are no overt miracles – no parting of the Red Sea, no visit by an angel. Nehemiah never walks on water. Instead, he was a man who had a passion, who worked hard, prayed, encountered criticism and made difficult leadership decisions. Nehemiah was a regular guy who caught a divine glimpse of what could and should be. Then he went after it with all his heart. His story is not much different than ours.
Five Components of Nehemiah’s Ambition
1. Questions and Cut to the Heart (1:2-4)
The questions we ask determine the culture we create – Nehemiah’s question shows his heart connecting beyond his own time and place – beyond his own comfort and position. – Fighting Shadows
Nehemiah’s questions reveal that he is thinking about something bigger than his own kingdom or comfort.
Francis Schaeffer warned of a looming threat to the church. The threat was not about huge culture wars; it was something smaller, more insidious. It was a reduction of kingdom vision to personal vision. When Christian men stop caring about God’s kingdom and mission, and reduce their vision to personal well-being and wealth, the church is doomed. – Fighting Shadows
The questions you ask about what’s happening today or what might happen in the future – are they mostly about YOU? How to protect or advance yourself?
Nehemiah’s question changed his life: God expanded Nehemiah’s ambition to include the people in Jerusalem. Nehemiah was cut to the heart with the answer: Nehemiah experienced “Crystallized Discontent” or “Holy Discontent.” A strong desire began to form in Nehemiah, which lead to a willingness to overcome and fight through obstacles, to achieve a desired outcome.
I love the next step for Nehemiah in his Holy Ambition. Prayer: “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:4) Nehemiah kept asking questions, this time to God! God, what role do you want me to play in this situation? Ask God, what do you want me to invest in in this next season of life? There are tons of ways your ambitions and talents might lead you. Choose one and focus your energy.
Dreamers dream about things being different, leaders envision themselves making a difference. Dreamers think about how nice it would be for something to be done, leaders look for an opportunity to do something. –Andy Stanley
2. Courage (2:1-4a)
One of my favorite verses in Nehemiah is 2:4a, “Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?'” The King sees that Nehemiah’s soul is troubled about something so he asks Nehemiah: What are you requesting? Wow!! The most powerful person on the planet says, “What do you want?”
What is Nehemiah’s next move in 2:4b? He prays for courage! Nehemiah is going public with his ambition. It’s a big moment! Nehemiah sees a “desired outcome.” Here is his first challenge, to say it out loud, to risk everything. Ambition will require courage. People respect and follow courage, whether you’re a king or a wall worker.
Scottish leader, Robert the Bruce, is afraid of leading with courage. If he did, even William Wallace would follow. Wallace says, “We all end up dead, it’s just a question of how and why.” What a great line! Nehemiah has a concern and is courageous enough to step in and be a part of the solution.
3. Clarity (vs. 2:5-8 and 17)
I love Nehemiah’s simplicity! There’s a problem (vs. 5) – we need to rebuild the wall. There’s a solution (vs. 7-8) – King, I need your resources. There’s a problem (vs. 17) – “We are in trouble and a disgrace – the city is in ruins.” There’s a solution (vs. 17) – “Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem.”
When you consider your own God given ambition, work, family, retirement, church, use of your talents, is it clear to you what your ambitions are? Could you write it on a small piece of paper and have it in your wallet?
4. Community (Chapter 3)
Whatever your ambitions, it involves other people. In Chapter 3, I counted 40 individual names and 10 group names. If you read Chapter 3 in its entirety, you would notice one name missing – Nehemiah. In order to accomplish a God given ambition – you will need others.
A leader is great not because of his power but because of his ability to empower others. John Maxwell
Nehemiah empowers hundreds of people to rebuild the wall. His ambition fuels the ambitions of others.
5. Conflict (4:1-4 and 8)
As soon as they begin building the wall, they encounter conflict. Every ambitious endeavor will experience conflict, many times right at the very beginning.
When a man gets a burden to change, a thousand issues will spontaneously arise. Some will be negative…others might be simple pleasures which can have a numbing effect: It’s amazing how good pizza and a Netflix series can bleed the ambition from a man’s heart. –Fighting Shadows
I have a beautifully handwritten letter in my office dated February 2002, one month before we began CCC, stating: “I feel strongly in my spirit that it’s not God’s will” for you to start a church. You will have to fight through other people’s fear and feelings in order to accomplish your God-given ambitions.
Questions:
- Questions & Cut to the Heart: What kind of questions do you ask? Are they primarily about your kingdom or God’s kingdom? If you are uncertain about your ambitions, do you have a Holy Discontent about something happening around you which you can be a part of changing?
- Courage: William Wallace said, “We all end up dead it’s just a question of how and why.” In what area of your life do you need to exercise greater courage? Why?
- Clarity: Is what you are about (yourself, business, church, family…) clear? Could you state it in a sentence or two?
- Community: How do other people factor into your ambitions? Why is it important?
- Conflict: How have the negative feelings or fears of others derailed you from your ambition? How have simple pleasures bled away your ambitions?
Iron Leadership Material: