Ambition Pleasing to God

1 Thessalonians 4:11,12

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

In a previous study of the fourth chapter of this Thessalonian letter, we directed attention to the need for brotherly love and the practical implications for the church which demonstrates brotherly love. The present sermon will focus on the issue of ambition and encourage the cultivation of godly ambition. In the original language, the words translated by these two concepts (brotherly love and ambition) are similar. It is as though Paul was deliberately and quite naturally leading from the one to the other. Indeed! He is making a natural transition, although we are not always aware of the relationship in our English translation. Love for the brothers will lead us to review our ambitions in order to insure that we have their welfare in view.

Man's thinking does not always portray ambition in the best light. You will recall that in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Caesar derided Marc Antony for having big eyes – for being ambitious. Nevertheless, each of us recognises that without ambition we are destined to accomplish no great feats nor may we anticipate success in our various endeavours. Thus we endeavour to balance ambition with social responsibility and with responsibilities to our families and responsibilities arising in our religious life.

There is ambition pleasing to God, however, and in our text Paul speaks of that ambition. Whether you are in school or seeking employment or now working, whether you are hoping to remain in your current position or advance within the structure of your employer or whether you hope to secure another position, there is this word to guide you and to direct your considerations. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. With these words Paul outlines ambition pleasing to God.

The Apostolic Commands are Threefold: That we Should Lead Quiet Lives, Mind our Own Business, and Work with our Own Hands. The Bible is an amazing book, eminently practical in all that it teaches. God is not unconcerned with our daily activities nor yet with the conduct of our lives lived out before our watching neighbours. The manner of our lives reveals the glory of His work in us. Therefore, God has provided instruction so that none may plead ignorance of the divine will. In this first verse of our text Paul focuses on three areas where we ought to demonstrate ambition which is pleasing to God.

Godly Ambition Directs Us to Live Contentedly. kai; filotimei`sqai hJsucavzein. Make it your ambition to have no ambition is the meaning, or perhaps be ambitious to be quiet. The words Paul chose are something of an oxymoron. It is not that Paul is instructing us to lack zeal for our work, nor to fail to work at whatever task we may be assigned, nor yet to fail to seek advancement at whatever we may do; rather, the Apostle is teaching us that we should learn contentment. The Christian should reveal a spirit of acceptance leading to success in whatever station of life that believer might occupy.

You may recall Paul’s instruction to the Philippians: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. [Philippians 4:10b-13]. These words serve as an expression of confidence in God as ruler of life. As such, they serve as a model for each Christian from which we may draw inspiration and strength and encouragement, and by which each of us may be instructed. I have learned to be content is the equivalent of make it your ambition to have no ambition. Godly ambition is seen in a quiet life expressing contentment with God as ruler.

In the first letter to the Corinthians Paul spoke of this same matter of seeking and of finding personal peace regardless of one’s situation. Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you — although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. [1 Corinthians 7:20-24].

If the child of God can better himself or herself through education, through advancement in employment, through obtaining greater responsibility, he or she should do so. But education, advancement and responsibility are incapable of ensuring contentment; contentment lies within the individual. Therefore, though well educated and able to engage in vigorous intellectual discussion covering a wide range of subjects with the most capable debater, Paul wrote of the secret of being content in any and every situation through resort to Him who gives strength. Just so, we discover contentment not through personal attainment, but through rest in Christ as Lord over the whole of life, and His lordship includes even our position and attainments. The Apostle, comfortable in the presence of nobility and scholars, was equally at home in the company of the simple and unlearned. He knew the secret of contentment; he knew the secret of Christ.

Paul found it especially necessary to write the Thessalonians because some within that congregation had become busybodies and others had seemingly sensed that position within the Church was a means to obtain power. In a few short paragraphs Paul will identify these individuals as a]taktoi – idlers [1 Thessalonians 5:14]. In classical Greek, a]takto" was applied to an army in disarray and to undisciplined soldiers who either broke rank instead of marching properly or who were insubordinate. The word in time came to describe any kind of irregular or undisciplined behaviour. Then, by the time Paul wrote the word was commonly used in contracts to speak of an irresponsible attitude toward work. That is what Paul has in view here … Christians who were irresponsible in Christian life and service, the irresponsibility being seen in daily life.

Such idlers were rebuked for their idleness in daily life and because of the distortion of spiritual power by their lack of discipline. Just so, you and I, should we twist the will of God or distort Christ’s design need to be rebuked by His Word. We are to be workers and not shirkers if we belong to Christ. God is known for His work, and Christ also claimed to work; He was active and energetic; work characterised our Lord. My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working [John 5:17]. If we will emulate our Great Example we will find work for our hands and for our hearts.

Of Jesus, the prophets had prophesied:

He will not quarrel or cry out;

no one will hear his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out,

till he leads justice to victory.

In his name the nations will put their hope.

[Matthew 12:19-21]

If this is true of Christ our example, ought we not learn to rest in Him, to cease noisy efforts to convince the world of our greatness, and gently, quietly, patiently reveal the power of His love through our service. If this is true of Christ, we ought to be rebuked if we imagine that ministry, our service to His people as we fill the position wherein He placed us, confers power on us. Ministry is not a path to power but an opportunity to glorify Christ and to magnify His Name.

Godly Ambition Urges Us to Accept Responsibility for our own Daily Affairs. These a]taktoi, these idlers, had proved themselves to be authorities adept at administering the business of others. Masters at directing the affairs of fellow believers while neglecting their own business affairs, they unwittingly brought reproach to the cause of Christ. Paul soundly rebuked these idlers in his second letter to this church (the first rebuke seemingly having proved insufficient to bring about the desired correction in their lives). In that second letter Paul confronts these idlers. We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies [2 Thessalonians 3:11]. He then issues this command: Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat [2 Thessalonians 3:12]. These people were no longer merely idle; they had become meddlers who were affecting others. At some time you have perhaps heard the old saying: idle hands are the devils workshop. That was true of these and such is ever the case: idleness breeds restlessness; and restlessness ensures meddling in the affairs of others.

These instructions were not something new to these saints, for the church had been instructed in practical Christianity during the brief missionary visit when the church was planted. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you. Would you not suppose that reference was to the time during the missionaries’ brief sojourn in Thessalonica? During that stay the missionary band had provided an example, labouring with their own hands [1 Thessalonians 2:9] so that they might be an example to the nascent church [2 Thessalonians 3:7-9], all the while providing verbal instruction [2 Thessalonians 3:10].

We are not at liberty to apply this teaching to the unwaged who are compelled to draw unemployment benefits or who live on welfare. Such conditions are both a symptom of economic recession and traumatic personal experience. We live in economically unstable times, and many find themselves out of work due to changing work conditions. Though well prepared through education and training, others have difficulty in finding employment. Individuals in these particular situations are not in view, and we are grateful and willing to provide from our own incomes to insure that any such individuals are cared for during the vexing transition. Others, through no design of their own, are unable to provide fully for their daily care. Any Christian is willing to insure that such unfortunate individuals are not forgotten in our society.

Paul condemns not unemployment as such (when people want to work but cannot find it), but idleness (when work is available but people do not want it). He is emphasising that we should be keen to earn our own living, in order to support our family and ourselves and so we need not rely on others. True, it is an expression of love to support others who are in need; but it is also an expression of love to support ourselves so as not to need to be supported by others. Paul has in view individuals who choose deliberately to cease working, or who choose emphatically to avoid seeking employment, or who choose to deliberately forsake responsibility for their daily affairs. Having chosen such a course of dependence upon others, these individuals soon become meddlers.

Godly Ambition Endeavours to be Spiritually Productive. The home and labour are both exalted early in Scripture [see Genesis 2:15,18 ff.]; and those two essential institutions are addressed in this chapter. It is in the practical areas of life that the wisdom of God and the glory of God are revealed. The Greeks despised manual labour as degrading to free men and thought labour fit only for slaves. Added to this general view held by some within the assembly was a generalised hysteria surrounding the issue of eschatology. The people were convinced of the momentary return of Christ, so they ceased work. Why work if life as they knew it would soon end as the millennium began?

The most spiritual endeavour ever for you may well be that you should work hard at your job. Expenditure of energies at your work may be the most spiritual investment you could make. Idleness is not attractive to outsiders, nor does sloth glorify the Lord. Thus does the Apostle write Titus: Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives [Titus 3:14]. The Apostle’s phrase, what is good translates the Greek kalw'n e[rgwn, which translated literally would read good works. It is significant to me to note that this same phrase occurs repeatedly throughout Paul’s letter to Titus [see Titus 2:7,14; 3:1,8,14]. The Pastor is to set an example by doing good works. Christians are expected by Christ to be a people eager to do good works. Likewise, Christians are to be ready to do good works, and they are to devote themselves to good works.

Spiritual productivity is not divorced from physical labour. Christ worked with His hands as a carpenter and forever ennobled and exalted labour in the eyes of the citizens of the Kingdom of God. Paul toiled as a tent maker, revealing the grace of labour to all saints. When man was first set in the Garden he was assigned a task, demonstrating that God considered labour to be good. So, in this earliest of apostolic letters, Paul insists that Christians view labour as spiritual. Every workbench ought to be a pulpit, for the worker is preaching a message through his or her labours. Every task we perform is an opportunity to reveal the transforming grace of God in our lives.

There is yet this further answer to the cause for idleness and the consequent meddling in the lives of others. Those denoted as having become idlers and busybodies in Thessalonica had misunderstood the teaching of the Second Coming and had consequently perverted that glorious teaching into an excuse for their idleness. North America witnessed something similar about one hundred fifty years ago. William Miller, a Baptist preacher of some rhetorical note in that distant day, traversed the countryside of the Middle States in the United States preaching that Christ’s return was imminent and setting a date for that event. The area in which he preached was greatly disturbed, and on a certain day in October, all the people donned white robes and ascended to the roofs of their houses and barns and awaited the return of Christ.

When Christ failed to fulfil the announced timetable, the people were deeply disappointed until Miller restudied the issue and discovered that he had forgotten to allow for the year zero. He assured his auditors that he had unwittingly erred by one year and that Christ would assuredly return in October of the coming year. Religious fervour was at fever pitch throughout the whole of the coming year. Men quit their jobs as they awaited the momentous day. At harvest time fields were left to rot since the people would have no need of food in the coming Millennial Kingdom. Banks repossessed farms when the landowners refused to meet payments on their loans. After all, they would soon possess mansions in Christ’s Kingdom. Convinced that the present order was quickly passing away, they discarded all and became idle.

The appointed day dawned bright and clear as witnessed by an even greater number of men, women and children than before. All were dressed in white robes and climbed to the rooftops to welcome Christ as He returned. I suppose they wished to gain an advantage over others by being nearer to the returning Lord of Glory. The sun rose higher, traversing the sky until it had passed its zenith at noon. Perhaps anxiety began to seize some of the waiting throng when they realised that the sun was descending, but newspaper reports from that era detail that the people perched on the roofs faithfully waited until evening and even into the dark night.

Frustrated in the extreme and gravely injured by the hardships their folly had worked, they came down from the roofs to face bitter ridicule and deep disappointment. Miller had the uncommon good sense to realise that he had sinned against God in attempting to set a date for the return of Christ, but his apology did nothing to alleviate the hardship his followers experienced. For a period of nearly two years great hurt was wrought to the cause of Christ through the folly of those who considered themselves deeply spiritual and possessed of great insight. Arising out of this foolish event was the cult of the Seventh Day Adventists, which persists among us to this day. Mary Ellen White claimed to be a prophetess who discovered the key to explain all that had happened. She discovered that Christ was not returning to earth on that day but rather He began an investigative judgement in the Most Holy Place.

The Reasons for the Commands are that we Might Win the Respect of Outsiders and that we Might be Free of Dependence on Others. Paul does not leave us wondering what may be the reason for issuing these practical instructions for the practise of the Faith in this letter; the reasons are quickly forthcoming. Those reasons are twofold – that we might have influence with outsiders and that we might be free. The reasons are powerful in glorifying God and for honouring the Name of Christ.

Ambition Pleasing to God Seeks to Win the Respect of Outsiders. … so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders [verse 12a]. The conduct of one member of the community of Faith reflects on the entire community. In the eyes of the citizens of this world Christianity is viewed at the lowest common denominator. Altogether too often the poorest example of a Christian is held up as the reason why the inhabitants of this world (who are held in the devil’s thraldom), should not yield to Christ’s freedom. One incidence of the exaltation of self above the rule of Christ seemingly has greater influence over the multitudes than does a thousand quiet and conscientious demonstrations of Christian love and service. One example of pleasing oneself apparently has more power to persuade than does thousands of lives which are pleasing to God.

I am not discounting the impact of one godly life, but I do note the negative power of one life lived in the Name of Christ without being yielded to Him, and I am amazed at the manner in which evil seizes the attention of mankind. The whole of the Christian community must assume collective responsibility for godliness. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity [Colossians 4:5] is the Apostle’s admonition to the Colossians. What was explanatory to the Thessalonians is imperative in the Colossian letter. Paul echoes Jesus’ command: In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven [Matthew 5:16].

Paul frames the matter as a prayer. That prayerful word is worthy of heeding. This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God [Philippians 1:9-11]. All that we do reflects on the Author of our Faith and every action is therefore to be taken to the glory and praise of God.

Do you care what outsiders think of the Faith? Does it matter to you how outsiders view your fellow Christians? Of course you care … if you have Christ at the centre of life. Of course you are concerned about the perceptions of the lost if Christ reigns over your heart and if He rules your life. Because you care, you make every effort to glorify Christ and you make every effort to win the respect of outsiders.

Ambition Pleasing to God frees us From Being Dependent on Others. … so that you will not be dependent on anybody [verse 12b]. The great ideal for all Christians is freedom. You will recall the verse which teaches: it is for freedom that Christ has set us free [Galatians 5:1a]. That verse shines as a beacon, serving as the great watchword of the Kingdom. Freedom must be balanced so we may avoid license, so the Apostle continued by teaching Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery [Galatians 5:1b].

While it is true that the freedom in view is freedom from sin's slavery, it is also true that in each area of life the believer is to strive to be free of every form of bondage. Let no debt remain outstanding [Romans 13:8] is sound advice from the pen of the Apostle. Freedom in matters of conscience is important, as is also freedom in matters spiritual. Freedom in the physical realm is as important as freedom in the fiscal realm. I suggest that it is impossible to utterly separate freedom in one realm of life from freedom in another. When enslaved by loss of freedom in any area of life we find ourselves restricted in every other area of life. I do say that physical restrictions bear less on spiritual freedom than does loss of liberty in any other area of our being.

Godly ambition will lead us to seek freedom from undue dependence upon others for the necessities of life. Perhaps you would expect me to speak of financial freedom, and that is indeed a freedom of great importance to any Christian. Each Christian ought to work so that they will have something to contribute to the advance of the Kingdom and to the welfare of others. Such ability should be the aspiration of every Christian. But great as freedom from financial pressures may be, I suggest there remains a greater freedom still in the life of the child of God; there is need to be free of dependence upon others in the work of God. I hasten to add that we are dependent upon one another to form and to express the Body of Christ, but I contend that the exercise of our individual ministries is the responsibility of each of us individually.

Too many have assumed that the Faith consists of attendance at a weekly religious performance. Such religious people find themselves dependent upon the spirituality of a few. They rely upon the prayers of others, upon the walk with Christ of others, upon the witness and power of others. Were each Christian to make it his ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind his own business and to work with his hands, we would witness a transformation of the Church and of the world in which we live and work.

You confess you are a Christian? If no one else worked throughout the week for the advance of the Kingdom of God, if every spiritual advance were dependent upon your efforts, would there be any advance? If the power demonstrated in the Kingdom were dependent upon your prayers, would the Kingdom reveal the power of the Living God? If winning the lost depended upon your witness, would anyone be won to faith in Christ? If building up believers were dependent upon your own investment of energies, would any believer grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? While we are dependent upon one another to co-operate in expressing the fullness of the Body of Christ, we must each assume responsibility to be fully involved in the exercise of our individual gifts to the glory of God and for the good of the Church.

What are you doing for the sake of Christ? The words the Apostle penned in verse 11, Make it your ambition… to mind your own business, remind us that we each have business assigned us as Christians. We are each responsible to fulfil an assigned ministry. Discharge all the duties of your ministry [2 Timothy 4:5] applies to more people than the pastor alone … it is a command to every Christian. You are to mind your own business. You are to realise that your business is to build the Kingdom of God. Your business is to strengthen the Church. Your business is to glorify God.

The first church I pastored in this country was a small church which should have closed its doors long before I arrived. The congregation had been in existence for nearly twenty years, but in that time they had acquired a taste for outside intervention. They had become a perpetual mission congregation. One pastor after another had served only by the infusion of funds from outside the congregation. Consequently, the little flock had almost unconsciously developed an attitude which limited growth to what they could secure from outside agencies. Whenever a need arose, the leadership of the congregation would say, “Send a request to headquarters.” If there were any hope of fulfilling the divine commission it would be necessary to wean them from this unnatural and unhealthy dependence upon outside agencies. The means by which this was accomplished was not through any great design on my part, it was forced on me through mismanagement and failure to plan for growth on the part of denominational leadership. However, since I discovered myself in a foreign country with inadequate support and limited time to accomplish any work I found myself driven to seek the mind of God. The only answer to transforming this perpetual mission station into a lighthouse for Christ was to instruct the people in Christian stewardship. To my joy the people responded to the teaching of the Word and soon we were able to cease looking to foreigners for our continued existence.

I must say that such a peril is a looming possibility if we are not careful. We do face constraints on advance in the days which lie immediately ahead. If we do not seize upon this great principle of individual stewardship of life we will find ourselves increasingly dependent upon a few for the continuation of the congregation. I call us as a people of God to nothing less than renewed vision of our service to Christ. I challenge each of us to nothing less than renewal of our life and our service for the cause of Christ.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life … to invest time alone with God in prayer and in reading His Word so that you may discover His will and discern His direction in your life. Make it your ambition to mind your own business … to labour so that you will fulfil that ministry He has assigned you and to thus honour Him through dedicated service in His Name. Make it your ambition to work with your own hands … to bear responsibility for doing that which He has assigned you.

Not for a moment would I dissuade you from applying the natural understanding of these verses; but I would also urge you not to ignore the fuller applications of the verses as outlined through this message. Let us resolve to be a congregation dependent upon none, save God alone. Let us resolve to be an assembly reflecting the sufficiency of Christ. Let us resolve to be a church which together reflects the power and the glory of the indwelling Christ through our service in His Name and through our love to one another. Amen.