This post will be a touch longer because it’s two weeks in the making…
Three weeks ago, we studied Matthew 6:19-24, where Jesus taught about kingdom treasure. The main thrust of that sermon was that our loyalties are revealed by what we treasure. Divided loyalty corrupts our entire life and prevents us from wholeheartedly serving Christ. In that sermon, we discussed how to evaluate our heart’s orientation. Is our heart toward the kingdom of the world or toward the kingdom of Christ? This is important because where our treasure is where our hearts will be. Where our treasure is, there is our focus. What we treasure can even blind us spiritually. The danger is when we think that our hearts are toward the kingdom of Christ, when in reality they’re not.
From that sermon, a few questions were sent to me. So, in this post, I’d like to attempt to answer those. Also, as a follow-up, in a few weeks we will interview Trevor Mauch, a CLF member and entrepreneur, to chat about how a change of heart toward success changed his life.
Here are the questions:
Question: Where do you draw the line between ambition to build good, lasting things on earth that impact others and pure works of God? I.e., how do you recognize what’s good, or disguised as works of God, vs what are pure works?
Answer: I don’t think there is a pure test regarding this. Paul wrote in Romans 14:23, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” This verse reveals part of the answer. If our hearts are before the Lord, for His glory, to benefit others, and our work is done in faith, then we can rest in the knowledge that God is pleased to work through our ordinary work. Scripture doesn’t separate “spiritual work” from “ordinary work” as sharply as we sometimes do. Whether we are building a business, raising children, serving in the church, or creating something that blesses others, all of it can become worship when done in faith for God’s glory.
Question: How do I remove all selfishness from our ambition?
Answer: I’m not sure we’ll do that this side of heaven. We’re so self-focused that we hardly know when we’re doing it. But I will say that Philippians 2:3-4 has always been a guide to me regarding this. Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Selfish ambition is tied to our pride. The opposite of selfish ambition is Christ-centered ambition. It’s this ambition that is considered more important than ourselves, and that looks out for others’ interests. But you’ll notice that Paul said to ‘not only look to your own interests.’ This means that it’s not ungodly to look out for our own interests. It’s ungodly to ONLY look out for our own interests. So, questions to ask ourselves: Is this for my glory or God’s? Is this for others’ good or just for my bank account? If this were taken from me, or if it succeeded beyond my expectations, how would that affect me spiritually? Is this something I could joyfully give away or sell?
Question: How do we discern when God wants us to use our gifts and when He wants us to leave good projects undone so we can prioritize our relationships?
Answer: As a general rule, relationships are more important than projects, especially the relationships God has specifically entrusted to us: our spouse, children, church family, and those under our care. However, depending on the nature of the project and the deadline, it may be a good exercise to envision those closest to us about the value and the immediacy of the project. For instance, Jill has always helped our children understand the unique demands of pastoral ministry. We talked openly about “giving daddy away to the Kingdom of God” when sermon preparation occasionally extended into Saturday. But we also tried to ensure those occasions remained the exception rather than the norm.
Karma or God’s work:
A question came to me after this past Sunday’s sermon regarding the nature of God’s judgment and karma.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is an impersonal moral law built into the universe. The basic idea is that your actions create consequences that inevitably return to you, either in this life or a future life. There’s no personal God required to administer justice. The universe pays you back.
In Matthew 7:1-2 are something radically different. This is the personal God of the Universe administering personal judgment and discipline. The righteous Judge sees how we judge others and administers judgment accordingly.
I will admit that the comment I made, “what goes around comes around,” could be interpreted as karma. But I was using it as a simple way of describing God’s fatherly principle that the measure we use toward others is often the measure He uses in disciplining us (Matt. 7:2). That isn’t karma; it’s our heavenly Father personally dealing with His children.
Another aspect of this that’s very important. Karma has no mercy. You get exactly what you deserve. But God’s judgment is full of mercy. Christ died for our sins, and He took the eternal, final judgment that we deserved. So, Christ has already borne the final judgment for our sin. God’s discipline is therefore corrective, fatherly, and merciful, not condemning.
Looking ahead:
This Sunday, we will study Matthew 7:7-12 and examine how the goodness of God transforms how we treat others.
Cheap Seats:
- Ok, this is really ridiculous: https://x.com/benverlander/status/2074655998091104434?s=42
- Baseball players have too much time on their hands. But at least they use it for fun: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYtkaVWMWR3/
- The USA’s showing at the 2026 Men’s World Cup once again revealed how far the USA is from becoming a soccer powerhouse. I was chatting with a few friends about this recently. Imagine if our best athletes played soccer, as they do in other countries? Erling Haaland would be an amazing tight end. Kylian Mbappe would be an awesome point guard or second baseman. Messi…I don’t, the dude was born to play soccer, but he might make a great shortstop.
Christ is King!
In Christ,
Dave York
