Should Christians Focus More On Contentment Or Holy Ambition?
Q: Should Christians focus more on contentment with where God has placed them, or is it right to pursue holy ambition? How can we live faithfully in that tension?
A: Remember what Paul taught to slaves who were believers in the New Testament churches. He told them, “Be faithful where you are. Obey your masters. Work hard. At the same time, if you have the chance to get your freedom, get it.” So, his encouragement to them is to be faithful and content where they are, while at the same time not neglecting opportunities for improvement and advancement.
I think that’s entirely in God’s will. Plus, not every opportunity for improvement or advancement will actually work out. Some of them won’t, and that’s okay. God will still use it. God will still use our failed attempts, because He’s a good God. That’s how it works.
I think we can find a contentment in preparing for the future. We’re not there yet, but we can know that we’re doing what we need to do in order to be led where the Lord wants to take us. We can be content in that. But contentment can quickly just devolve into complacency and passivity, which we should avoid.