Guest Post: Godly Ambition: A Working Definition

This is a guest post by Elizabeth Clevenger. I trust that you will be blessed as you consider how you are pursuing godly ambition in your own life.

That whole-hearted, full-body pursuit
Of God’s kingdom and His righteousness
To the greatest extent of my creaturehood,
That is to say, to the greatest extent of my
Capacity, ability, and opportunity
As orchestrated under the sovereign hand of God,
Not neglecting but also taking into consideration
The necessary and God-magnifying enjoyment
Of His earth and my creaturehood,
Including those easily-lost aspects of
Rest, pleasure, and other such good goodnesses
That redeemed humans are most free to enjoy.

Whole-Hearted

“What does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12

“Only be very careful to… love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5

“Do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.” 1 Samuel 12:20

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts.” 1 Chronicles 28:9

Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind….” And [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Luke 10:27-28

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. 1 Peter 3:15

Full-Body

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego… who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts. Romans 6:12

Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin… but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead. Romans 6:13

If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:13

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. Colossians 3:5

May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Pursuit

Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:8

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11

Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord. 2 Timothy 2:22

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Of God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.” Matthew 6:33

“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 10:7

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man… from joy over it… sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

Walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12

To the Greatest Extent of My Creaturehood (Capacity, Ability, Opportunity)

“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” Deuteronomy 16:17

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 1 Corinthians 3:5

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Galatians 6:10

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Philippians 4:10

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Colossians 4:5

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints. 2 Corinthians 8:3-4

Be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5

As Orchestrated under the Sovereign Hand of God

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Psalm 127:1

The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand. Proverbs 19:21

Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Lamentations 3:37

“He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” Acts 17:26

You ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” James 4:15

Not Neglecting the Necessary and God-Magnifying Enjoyment Of His Earth

Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food. Genesis 2:9

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of HIs mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Psalm 33:7-8

They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. Psalm 65:8

“[God] did not leave Himself without witness in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17

Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. Romans 1:20

And My Creaturehood

God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

“In the hearts of all who are skillful, I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you.” Exodus 31:6

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Psalm 37:3

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun… for this is his reward. Ecclesiastes 5:18

As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19

Enjoy life with the woman whom you love. Ecclesiastes 9:9

Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

Including Rest

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:3

[The day of atonement] is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls. Leviticus 16:31

It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to HIs beloved even in his sleep. Psalm 127:2

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28

[Jesus] said to [the apostles], “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest awhile.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) Mark 6:31

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him. 1 Peter 5:7

Other Such Good Goodnesses Redeemed Humans Are Most Free to Enjoy

In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

The Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. Psalm 16:20

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the stomach of the wicked is in need. Proverbs 13:25

Creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:21

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21:1

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb…. On either side of the river was the tree of life bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2

Elizabeth Clevenger is a member of Summit Woods Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit, MO. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and a master’s degree in Biblical Counseling, both from Calvary University. Elizabeth, a certified biblical counselor, enjoys serving her church in the areas of evangelism, music, and counseling, and works on staff at Summit Woods as administrative assistant.

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