Too Much Ambition

Leadership Journal published an interview with Eugene Peterson. Peterson was asked, “When you look at the state of the pastoral vocation, what concerns you?” He responded, “One of the things that distresses me most is how much ambition there is. I’m alarmed that we measure things by what the world counts as important.” I agree. And I disagree. On one hand, I believe that a certain amount of drive and urgency is appropriate in ministry leadership. The work that we’re doing matters deeply. The mission that God calls us to is enormous. It won’t be accomplished by lackadaisical attitudes or half-hearted effort. Then there is the other hand. When ambition feeds a leader’s appetite for recognition rather than pursuing the glorification of God, it’s worse than distressing – it’s dangerous. Too much ambition (or more accurately, the wrong kind of ambition) can cause ministry leaders to constantly compare themselves with others rather than simply asking if they’re being obedient to God’s call. It can create an obsession with numbers that don’t tell the whole story, and may even cause the leaders to manipulate those same numbers. This kind of ambition is unhealthy for the leader and the church or ministry that he or she serves. Of course, we (collectively) shoulder some of the responsibility for this excess of ambition. Just like every other part of our culture, we have created and celebrated a small universe of “superstar” pastors. They all lead megachurches. Many are relatively young and/or planted the churches that they lead. And in a myriad of ways, the message to every other ministry leader is clear: “This is the picture of success. This is what it looks like to truly follow God.” I can’t “fix” this broader cultural issue. All that I can do is to encourage any leader who is reading this blog to pause and look at what is driving you. If you’re sure that it’s from God, then press ahead. But if you suspect that your ambition has been tainted by some less-than-helpful voices or models, would you please hit the pause button. Find a coach or trusted friend who will help you unpack this complex issue. Limit the ways that you allow unhelpful or unhealthy voices to influence you. Deepen your devotional life to give God more space to speak to you. In doing so, you may discover a kind of drive that will be even deeper and more life-giving. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>