Daily Reflection: Psalm 127.1
“Revenge, lust, ambition, pride and self-will are too often exalted as the god’s of man’s idolatry; while holiness, peace, contentment and humility are viewed as unworthy of a serious thought.’ Charles Spurgeon
Reflection: Our society views ambition as a positive and desirable quality. And being ambitious can indeed bring about great results. Ambition can give us a vision for our lives; it can motivate us and bring out the best in us as we strive to achieve our goals. But with ambition comes temptation. How closely linked for us are ambition and pride? And how wholeheartedly do we bring our ambitions before the Lord, asking for his direction and prayerfully examining our motives and desires? Whatever our ambitions, let us be sure that ‘the Lord builds the house’, that we may not ‘labour in vain’.
Prayer: Our powerful God, thank you that you are at work in the world, and in us. Thank you for the saving work of Jesus on the cross, and for the work of his Spirit now in the world through us. Thank you for the gifts you give each of us as your people. Help us to use our gifts with all our hearts in your service and for the glory of your name, rather than our own. Amen
Take it further: Read Genesis 11:1-9. This was a project built without submission to the Lord. What were the people hoping to achieve, and what was motivating them? Pray that ‘reaching for the sky’ and ‘making a name for ourselves’ aren’t our motivations in life.
Reflections with Natalie will be posted each morning for 2 weeks on our Facebook & Instagram accounts. We would love you to join us!
Nat Rosner grew up in Sydney, lives in Melbourne and loves both cities! A former lawyer, she’s now a Minister at St Hilary's in Victoria and is passionate about sunshine, summer, sport, reading and local church ministry. This reflection was originally posted as part of the Winter Warmers series at St Hilary's
