What's Your Ambition

2 Samuel 15:4

“Then Absalom would add, ‘If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice.”

It’s the popular noontime show question for kids. The common rapport-springboard for teachers too. I remember having varied answers myself. My generation’s usual slumbook entry was to be a doctor, an astronaut, or an engineer. 'What's Your Ambition?' I think today’s kids would post they’d want to be on tv, or go abroad, even sing to us McCoy’s billionaire song. As we grow up, many would be more realistic and shift gears based on economic strata, the workplace demand, and non-quota courses, haha. A handful, more determined others, will disregard boundaries, even willing to break rules to reach those dreams. Is that what we really want our kids to embrace? To have personal dreams? To see wealth and fame at the top ladder? To be ahead of everyone else?

Absalom was everyone’s favorite. Highly praised for his appearance, royalty in his blood, flattery on his tongue. This dream guy has big dreams. Bigger than him. He wants to be on top, now. Like a prodigal son who couldn’t wait for his father’s death, he wants his inheritance now. And like Satan, he was not content in just being God’s subject, he wanted the glory for himself. And so he planned to dethrone his father, the one who deserves gratitude for calling him back from banishment. He disregarded all respect and relationship. His eye was on his ambition. He stirred up discontent and used it to exalt himself. He became the exact opposite of the only verse I know about godly ambition: to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, to work with your hands. He was there at the city gates, bragging about how better it would be if he’s the one sitting as judge, cutting off the line that connects the king to his people’s concerns, and doing nothing as prince of the land. And yes, he got what he wished for. As all determined people could achieve. Now let’s see if he’s really up to his promise of attending to e-v-e-r-y complaint. Let’s see if there’s joy climbing up the ladder at the expense of his father weeping and walking barefoot. Let’s see if there’s blessing without God on his side.

What’s your ambition? Is it God-given, parent-ordered, or self-directed? Of course God can use our parents to guide us and our passions to stir us. Yes it was His design and desire that we push for excellence, to overcome obstacles, to be the best we can be. But not at the expense of others. Not without process. Not for our own glory. Our ambition in life should always come from Him, through Him, and for Him. I pray and hope we parents would teach our kids the best response to this ambition question: to be who God wants me to be, when He wants, where He wants. To see God at the top ladder, the Head of everyone. Say it with me: my goal is His glory! Now that's worth aiming for :>