One of my favourite films is a Christmas classic from 1946 ‘It’s a wonderful life’. It follows the life of a George Bailey who after a life of honourable decisions still ends up on the verge of ruin and wishing that he had never been born. An angel is sent from heaven (Clarence) to show George just what life would have been like if he had never been born. George soon realises that all his seemingly insignificant decisions have made a dramatic difference to the lives of others and to the town around him.
I love the fact that we are fully loved by God and that all He asks of us is obedience day by day. One small act of kindness that we may consider insignificant could lead to a crucial difference in the lives of others.
We may not get to meet an angel this side of heaven to show us the fruit of our good decisions, but we can be sure that no act of good purpose will go without reward (Mark 9:41) We don’t need to chase God’s pleasure by seeking to do some great and grandeur thing, obedience is better than sacrifice (Samuel 15:22).
Contentment and completeness in Jesus
Humility is looking away from self and looking at Jesus, knowing that with God all things are possible and not even our limitations can stop God from working out His good plan for our lives. So, for us we need to take our eyes of self and put them onto Jesus. Knowing that we are completely and fully loved by God.
Jesus is the source of our rest. We don’t have to wait until we’ve got it all together or until we feel like we are lovable to receive God’s love. Because there was only one worthy of God’s love and that was Jesus.
God’s love comes to us through our faith in Jesus, it has been ‘earned’ through Jesus our saviour. Contentment is found in receiving God’s love and this contentment enables us to lay down the strivings of selfish ambition. We praise God for the completeness of Jesus.
God’s love will never let us down
“Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”” John 4:13-14 NKJV
Jesus discerned the true thirst in the heart of the woman at the well. Only God can truly meet the needs of our heart, all other loves will let us down.
Ambitions reveal the intentions of the heart, they can uncover what we truly value. We can’t be yoked to Jesus and yet be pulling in an opposite direction. Let God be the one who raises our ambitions and gives us dreams, should He so choose to do so. Either way, true fulfilment is only found through Him.
God fulfils His ambitions through us
God will guide us as we seek His will and He will make us fruitful as we abide. God is the expert architect, and He has the plans for each one of our lives. This is why we should not compare ourselves with others, we are all unique and God chooses to express His beauty through us in different ways. Like precious jewels cut in different ways to refract light, living in freedom allowing God His true expression.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” Ephesians 2:10
God fulfils His own ambitions through us as we abide in Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches, so our role is simply to hang on in there and stick close to Him. We receive His love and then from this we produce fruit organically. We do not strive, we rest in His love. God keeps His promises.
Being intentional
“Turn my heart towards your statutes and not towards selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Psalms 119:36-37 NIVUK
There may be those who believe that Christians should not have any ambitions or dreams. However, whilst we know that selfish ambition is described as a worthless thing (Galatians 5:19) God can be ambitious for us.
Joseph’s brothers interpreted his dreams as selfish ambition (Genesis 37:5), and they hated Joseph ‘all the more’ for those dreams of his. However, these dreams had not come from Joseph, but they had come from God.
Others may criticise, our dreams and our best intentions, but whenever our aim is to live our lives for God, it is like costly perfume to Him and it is acceptable. It may not always be honoured by others and it may not always be perfect or to the standards of others, but it will not go unnoticed by Jesus.
Mary made it her intentional purpose to make much of Jesus. In breaking that alabaster box of precious perfume, she broke her life at Jesus feet (Luke 7:36-39, John 11:2). Yet even Mary faced criticism. When we experience God and know Him, we will consider all else a loss (Philippians 3:8) and even our ambitions will be all about bringing Him praise.