Ambition Laid Down, Life Lifted Up
Locking focus on what matters, letting the background fade.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows, T. Austin-Sparks, September 7
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Philippians 2:3 calls me to turn away from selfish ambition and to count others as more important. In today’s selection from T. Austin-Sparks, I hear a fatherly caution. Natural ambition can slip into Christian work with a new coat of paint, yet it is the same engine underneath. The invitation is to let go of chasing prizes and to want God Himself. That is not a scolding, it is a rescue. When Jesus is the goal, doors and outcomes return to their proper size.
I am grateful for T. Austin-Sparks’ steadying voice. He reminds me that maturity looks like resting my future in the Lord’s hands and refusing to let platform or praise tug the steering wheel. Success as people count it is not the measure. Life in the Holy Spirit is. Where ambition once hurried the heart, the Spirit cultivates a quiet willingness to be small so that Jesus can be seen.
This lands close to home in everyday places. In conversations, projects, and ministry, I can sense the itch to prove something. Can you too?
The way forward is not to clamp down on desire, but to set the desire on the Lord and trust His timing. As attention turns to Him, joy loosens the grip of comparison. Gratitude rises. Love begins to lead.
So here is the gentle shift for today. Release the timeline. Refuse the scramble. Tell the Lord that His presence is the prize, and then walk the next faithful step with a calm heart. Thank You, T. Austin-Sparks, for opening this window and pointing to how superior Jesus is to every lesser aim.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I turn your gaze to the mind of Christ. He made Himself nothing, He took the form of a servant, He humbled Himself. Let this mindset be in you. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility count others more significant. Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. I work in you to will and to act for the Father’s good pleasure.
You are joined to the Lord in spirit. You have been crucified with Christ, and the life you now live in the flesh you live by faith in the Son of God. Set your mind on things above, where Christ is, for you died and your life is hidden with Him in God. Present your body to God as a living sacrifice. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Abide in Jesus, for apart from Him you can do nothing, and as you abide you will bear much fruit.
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and I will lift you up in due time. Where jealousy and selfish ambition try to take root, receive the wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruit. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. The grace of God toward you is not in vain, for I appoint good works that you should walk in them.
Scripture references: Philippians 2:3 to 8, Philippians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 6:17, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1 to 4, Romans 12:1 to 2, John 15:4 to 5, 1 Peter 5:6 to 7, James 3:14 to 17, Galatians 5:16, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Ephesians 2:10.
Real-Life Analogy
A camera will keep hunting for whatever is brightest, until you lightly press the shutter and let it lock focus on the true subject. Ambition is like the background glare. It pulls the eye. When I pause and yield, the indwelling Spirit sets focus on Jesus and the subject comes into sharp relief. Effort stops thrashing. The picture turns clear.
Try this today. Before you send the email that could nudge your reputation, pause for five seconds of stillness. Tell Him, Lord, I trust You to set my aim and tone in this moment. Then write with a servant’s heart, content to be unseen if that is what allows Jesus to be seen.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus I already have the only prize that lasts. Thank You that Your Spirit lives in me, shaping my desires and my pace. I receive this day as a place to walk quietly with You, to prefer others, and to rest in Your timing. Lord, I trust You to order my steps and to express Your life through me in the conversations, decisions, and unseen tasks ahead.