What is the relationship between confidence, humility and ambition? I have a very tough time with this in my life personally in my actions and motives behind my actions, as well as the thoughts I have of other people in observing their behavior.
Humility obviously is both demanded and the natural fruit of having your heart changed through faith in Christ and the Spirit’s sanctifying affects over time. There is a Love so amazing, so divine, it demands my soul, my life, my all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). The more and more the Spirit reveals situations in life to me where true Christ-like humility means taking a back-seat, being at the end of the line, going completely unnoticed, doing the things nobody else wants to do, the more and more…well, humbling it is. Interesting how that works, isn’t it? The more I seek to follow Jesus, who “made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7), the more I realize just how unimportant and insignificant I really am. The more I step out in faith to humble myself in the daily nitty-grittiness of life, even while having that puffed up view of myself, I learn through doing such things how foolish I was to ever hold on to such pride. In other words, when I try to “count others more significant than myself,” I end up realizing that other truly are more significant than I.
On the other hand, I also believe that there should be a healthy and firm confidence in the life of a Christian. Being humble doesn’t mean thinking you aren’t capable of anything, it is simply having a realistic view of yourself and your abilities. The Christian should be “strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9a). But the reason behind why strength and courage is appropriate is because “the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9b). The confidence is not in yourself, but in God’s strength working through you, which ironically is what is at the heart of the Christian life, isn’t it? The Christian life, as Henry Scougal has said, is “the life of God in the soul of man.” We are merely the glove which the hand of the Spirit goes into, giving it movement, strength, and purpose. A paradox of the Christian life is that not until we realize we are weak will we be strong, for God’s strength is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10). The more dependency, the more power. So, in a way, one relationship between confidence and humility is that true confidence is the result of humility. To put it another way: no humility, no God-honoring confidence. To put it a third way, “confidence” without humility is really prideful cockiness.
The tension between my desire for Christlike humility/confidence and ambition arises when I enter a dog-eat-dog world of success. In this world of academics, athletics, and social issues, humility most of the time is not rewarded. Sure, it is given lipservice and theoretical and philosophical praise from time to time–especially in a Christian environment where everyone knows it is a desirous thing. However, it simply doesn’t reward in any other way. In other words, there are things which I know I could do which would get me “ahead” in my pursuits–very subtle things, but they run contrary to what I feel would be living a truly humble life. Subtly prideful, arrogant things. I see others doing them, and then reaching that success which I am striving for. I want to move up the ladder in the way they just did, but I couldn’t for the life of me go about it the way they just did. It would be sinful for me to go about things the way others do. If this makes any sense to you, then you feel the tension.
What then should be my mindset? I deeply desire to “get ahead” and achieve certain things in a very competitive environment. I deeply desire to be “excellent in all things,” but I also want “all things to be to the glory of God,” even in the process of becoming excellent. The ends do not justify the means. It’s not the big things in life, it’s the tiny, micro, small, subtle details and attitudes. The details in life matter to God.
At the end of the day, the only person someone has control over is himself. If one dwells on the shortcomings of others, or the success of others, it slowly drags you down and eats away at you. The only thing the Christian can do when dealing with others who are filled with selfish ambition is to remain faithful himself. Those who honor God, God will honor (1 Samuel 2:30). The Christian must fight to stay humble, maintain that God-sustained confidence in the midst of a ferociously competitive world where the rules of Christlikeness do not govern one’s material advancement.
What if you never do climb that ladder? What if you never achieve that goal? What if you never gain that success you want? Well, here enters the part where you scratch your head and go, “I don’t know.” It’s tough. It’s the ongoing mental war in the mind, when you fail to succeed by the world’s standards to make sure you have God’s definition of success. And not only when you fail, but even when you succeed (world’s definition), have you really succeeded (God’s definition)? Oh, to get to a point to where you can honestly say, “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise.” I saw a Colts field goal kicker tonight in the Super Bowl miss his field goal attempt, but then make a point to still point upward acknowledging the Lord–miss or make. He missed the field goal, but did he succeed?
How does one have righteous ambition while having God-honoring confidence and Christlike humility? Christlike confidence and humility are essential for righteous ambition. What is your definition of success? Is your definition of success God’s definition of success? So what’s the conclusion in this unorganized and perhaps unclear blog post? What is the course of action to take? Be steadfast in whatever situation you are in. Do what you know is right, and believe that He will honor your faithfulness and reward those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
(Disclaimer: these thoughts/views are not set in stone, and are somewhat quickly assembled as I am thinking through them. Please do not overly scrutinize them. I may be off logically or biblically, or I may not have said enough, or said too much).
