Weekly Opinion Editorial
AMBITION VS.
COVETOUSNESS
by Steve Fair
Covetousness is defined as a strong desire
to have that which belongs to another.
In the Bible, it is listed as one of the most grievous sins. The opposite of covetousness is contentment
in God. When covetousness for gain
increases, contentment in God decreases. Covetousness
is when we start to crave other things- usually those that belong to another-
to satisfy the longings of our heart.
Ambition is a derivative of a Latin word, amberae, which means ‘both or double
minded.’ It was used to describe those
who were double-minded or two faced. It
was applied to those who have absolutely no convictions, will would do or say
anything to gain a selfish goal. It was
the word used in ancient Rome to describe Roman politicians, who would do
anything to get votes. Is ambition bad?
Stephen Neill was a Scottish Anglican missionary to India in the twentieth
century. He said this about ambition: “I
am inclined to think that ambition in any ordinary sense of the term is nearly
always sinful. “ Is he right? Is ambition to be avoided by Christians? In a very real sense, Christ came to save us
from our ambition, but is all ambition wrong?
Ambition is defined by Webster as: a
strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and
hard work. Synonyms of ambition are
aspiration, yearning, longing, goal, aim, drive and force. Ambition is applauded in the corporate, business
and political world. It is an attribute
that most leaders in our world possess. They
are driven, goal oriented individuals who are focused and goal oriented. Sad to say they are often willing to
sacrifice their family and health to get to the next rung on the ladder. Blind ambition is when ambition prevents
people from seeing what’s happening around them. Secular leaders often view blind ambition as
a great trait to have. Blocking out what
is happening around us in order to do what seems impossible sounds like intense
focus, but is also a trait for those with blind ambition. But is ambition an attribute we should seek
in a leader?
Steven J. Law of the C.S. Lewis Institute
sums up how Christians should view ambition:
“How do we purse goals in a God-honoring way? How can we be ambitious without it corroding
our souls? The secret is summed up in
how Paul used to describe ambition gone awry, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
John MacArthur says the apostle Paul was perhaps
the most ambitious man the world has ever seen.
His drive to kill Christians before his conversion was only exceeded by
his drive to further the gospel after his conversion. He made three very long missionary journeys,
wrote half the New Testament, and spoke before thousands. “Paul had three dimensions of
godly ambition- he looked upward toward a higher calling, he looked outward to
understand this world is temporal, and lastly he was motivated by depth for an
eternal purpose,” MacArthur said.
Thomas Brooks, a Puritan preacher said
this about ambition: “Blind ambition has
caused many people to sell their souls, compromise their convictions, if they
ever had any, violate their beliefs, sacrifice their character and use
everybody in their way. And it is true. Ambition is often associated with
pride, with sort of evil aggression, with self-centeredness. Ambition is often
associated with people that we call driven people, who are utterly insensitive
to the people around them, or anything but selfless servant leaders. Ambition
could even be associated with the idea of being careless. And it very often
leaves principles lying in the dust.”
Amberae actually means in Latin(Ambition) to
campaign for a promotion. Politicians,
fast trackers and hard chargers in business come to mind when you frame the
word in that context. Secular ambitious
people seek power, position, fame, approval, and more money. They will lie, cheat, steal, backbite, and
gossip to win elections or get promoted.
Humility and integrity are not considered positive attributes for the
blindly ambitious.
There is a fine line between ambition and
covetousness. Great leaders are not
blindly ambitious and willing to do anything to get ahead. As you vote in the upcoming elections, seek
candidates who are not covetous, but exhibit the attributes of the leaders
Moses appointed in Exodus 18. Those leaders were able, truthful, God fearing
and not covetous(blindly ambitious). Those
are the kind of leaders we need in America.
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