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110 Bible verses about Ambition
Ambition. It's something we all wrestle with, isn't it? The Bible speaks a lot about it, both as something to be careful of and something we can use for good. It's a tricky thing to navigate.
Scripture encourages us to be humble and put God first, not our own earthly desires. Proverbs 21:251 talks about how dangerous unchecked ambition can be – how it can lead to laziness and a lack of drive to actually do the work. It's a good reminder to check our hearts.
Jesus also talked about ambition. He told his disciples to seek God's kingdom first and foremost, to trust that everything else will fall into place (Matthew 6:33). It makes me think about what I'm truly striving for. Am I chasing after God's will, or my own?
It's so important to examine our motivations. What's driving our goals and dreams? Are they lining up with God's purpose for our lives? I think we should all strive for a healthy ambition, one that's focused on loving and serving God and others. When we seek His will, we find a real sense of fulfillment, something way deeper than any achievement or possession could ever give us.
to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment.
“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘Your heart is proud and you said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas” – yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike.
He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.”
Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth.”
You said to yourself, “I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon.I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!”
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…
Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.
because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.
Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic.For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.
Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.
Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either.But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.
Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the Lord, affirm that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity. But I will allow you to escape with your life wherever you go.”’”
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you?Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge.But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge – the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor?Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.You ought to say instead, “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.”But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask;you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.
The greedy person stirs up dissension, but the one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave –just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.
Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”
“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, good favor more than silver or gold.
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from mortal danger.
Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless – like chasing the wind.
Better to have a little with righteousness than to have abundant income without justice.
For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace,
Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies!For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.
But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
The one who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness.Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.Therefore, strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees,and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.And see to it that no one becomes an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.For you know that later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing with tears.For you have not come to something that can be touched, to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwindand the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more.keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth.My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability.
But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.
In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand
Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.
Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food!
Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service.
As Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
It is better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted than to share the spoils with the proud.
For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?
But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ.More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ,
“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread,and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth and turmoil with it.Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox where there is hatred.
They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price
For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good,treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God.They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.
For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?
But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.”
Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches, feed me with my allotted portion of bread,lest I become satisfied and act deceptively and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I become poor and steal and demean the name of my God.
Let your beauty not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes –but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! If wealth increases, do not become attached to it!
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.
Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others.Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves,but, despite their wealth, people do not last, they are like animals that perish.
You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires,to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.
Do not envy evil people, do not desire to be with them;If you faint in the day of trouble, your strength is small!Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter.If you say, “But we did not know about this,” does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? Will he not repay each person according to his deeds?Eat honey, my child, for it is good, and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.Likewise, know that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will not be cut off.Do not lie in wait like the wicked against the place where the righteous live; do not assault his home.Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again, but the wicked will be brought down by calamity.Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, and turn his wrath away from him.Do not fret because of evil people or be envious of wicked people,for their hearts contemplate violence, and their lips speak harm.
So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Fearing the Lord leads to life, and one who does so will live satisfied; he will not be afflicted by calamity.
Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.
For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others.In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.
And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Certainly spending just one day in your temple courts is better than spending a thousand elsewhere. I would rather stand at the entrance to the temple of my God than live in the tents of the wicked.
Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise,taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.