Destined for Greatness

"Over 300 GetActive clients and partners gathered in the San Francisco Bay Area September 16 to share best practices in online fundraising and engagement, ... " As I read these words and any words like it that tout self achievement, I think to myself "Do these people believe in God? Do these people realize that it isn't by their own ability that they move anything or achieve what they call success?".

I learned when I was younger that I could "shape the world". I learned that I could "climb the mountain" and "atain greatness". So many things that I learned as I grew up, I was worked on in order that I would be shaped into someone, something that relied on my own effort that pushed myself to a fiction of success. And as I am writing these words I can hear the defenders of 'this faith' (the faith of success). They are saying "What's wrong with that!" and "What wrong with trying to become something more? Something better? What's wrong with trying to succeed?".

The devil twists, the father of lies turns the truth and spins a web of deceit. He turns a good desire into a bad one by tilting it ever so slightly to this way or that. He takes a great desire, which would be; 'strive' to do what God wants, and then turns it ever so slightly until the 'striving' is more important than the 'God' part. "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength". So by that very statement 'ambition' is a good thing; but a specific 'kind' of ambition. Be careful with the kind of striving that you are doing. Why are you striving? That is the most important part. If it is toward you 'own' ideas then it is of no value. If it for God, 'then' it is 'good'. But not my Will but yours Lord.