03/11/2026
Holy Ambition, Human Limits
I have big dreams for my church, my family, and the legacy I hope to leave. But there’s a tension inside me. Ambition and old wounds often share the same space in my heart. Some days, ambition feels like striving. Other days, my limits feel like laziness. How can we desire much without letting that desire take over?
Paul wrote with clear ambition: "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14, ESV). But just a few verses earlier, he said, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect" (Philippians 3:12, ESV). Ambition without attainment. Pursuit without possession.
The real danger isn’t ambition itself. It’s when ambition becomes a way to make up for something missing, like using achievements to fill a father’s silence or to escape feelings of not being enough. I know this place well; it’s like walking through familiar terrain. When attendance drops, my sense of worth drops too. When a project fails, I wonder if I am failing.
Jeremiah warned: "Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24, ESV). Wisdom, strength, and riches are all secondary to knowing God.
According to Augustine in Letter 48, "he advised church leaders to serve with humility, cautioning them not to pursue leadership roles with pride or avoid them out of laziness, and to submit themselves with meekness to God who governs them." When ambition isn’t paired with submission, it can turn into tyranny.
So how do we hold both passion and vulnerability at the same time?
Bring all your ambitions to God, every single one. The pure ones and the mixed ones. "Search me, O God, and know my heart" (Psalm 139:23-24, ESV).
Accept your limits. Practice Sabbath (REST). Set boundaries. "He gives to his beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2, ESV). Limits can become a form of love.
Measure your life by faithfulness, not just by what you achieve. "Each will receive his wages according to his labor" (1 Corinthians 3:8, ESV), not according to results.
Paul’s life ended in Roman custody. His churches were divided, and his body was battered. Yet he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7, ESV). He didn’t build an empire, but he finished the race and kept the faith. That’s ambition measured by eternity.
Prayer: Lord, take away ambitions that only serve my ego. Strengthen those that serve Your kingdom. When I can’t tell the difference, give me humility to pause, pray, and submit. Let my passion and drive belong to You. Let my limits and boundaries be gifts of grace. Amen.
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As you name your ambitions and face your limits, what are you truly longing for? Who gives you the courage and clarity to desire well?
Grace upon grace,
Your fellow traveler - Bishop Jacques Thomas
Overcomers City Church
