What I’m Really Proud Of | Thursday – Week 7
Listen instead of reading
Take a Moment
Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today
Read The Daily
“You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” (Matthew 4:10)
Several years ago, a mentor of mine challenged me on the message that I was sending to my children. He argued that because of how I was personally driven (and my unhealthy ambition at times) that I needed to make sure I told my kids two things repeatedly. I finished his sentence, “I know, I know…I need to tell them, I love them and I’m proud of them!” What he said next blew my mind.
“No, tell them you love them and that you are proud to be their dad” His point was that my kids needed to be reminded that I am ultimately proud of them not because of anything they accomplish or do, but simply because I’m their dad.
Ambition, the fire that drives us to dream big, to reach for the stars, and to achieve great things. It’s a powerful force, but like any force, it can be misdirected. Satan knew this when he tempted Jesus with the idea of ruling all the kingdoms of the world. It was the ultimate temptation of ambition. The catch, however, was that Jesus was already destined to be the ruler of all nations as the Messiah. Satan wasn’t trying to lead Jesus away from his calling; he was attempting to make Jesus do it a different and easier way. He sought to plant the seeds of selfish ambition, making Jesus believe he needed to achieve his destiny through self-effort, self-promotion, and self-ambition. For us, this temptation is sneaky. The enemy might use the very calling and destiny on our lives to entice us to take matters into our own hands. He tempts us to achieve our God-given destiny through self-effort and selfish ambition. The trap lies in making us believe that success and goal achievement are the measures of our worth and value. But the truth is, we don’t have to prove our worth through accomplishments. When we know our identity as loved children of God, we can rest in the fact that we don’t have to prove ourselves to anyone.
So, when that ambition calls, when the chase for success seems endless, and when you’re tempted to manipulate, control, or politic your way up the ladder, remember Jesus’ response to Satan: “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” Satan wants us to worship either him, the world system, or ourselves in our pursuit of success and ambition. The reality is that success alone won’t satisfy; it will always leave us wanting more. Don’t give in to ambition’s whispers that say, “But you deserve it and earned it, so…TAKE IT.” Remember where your true worship belongs and serve only the One who defines your identity.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
4 x 6 Plan | Read: Acts 7:1-16 & 1 John 2:15-17