In the workplace, one temptation is to use others as stepping stones to our own success. When we steal the credit for a subordinate’s or co-worker’s work, when we withhold information from a rival for promotion, when we shift the blame to someone not present to defend themselves, when we take advantage of someone in a difficult situation, we are guilty of selfish ambition. The book of James is right that this is a chief source of quarrels.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:1-8 ESV)
Ironically, selfish ambition may slow down your success rather than promote it. The higher your position in an organization, the more you depend on others for success. It can be as simple as delegating work to subordinates, or as complex as coordinating a team for a big project. But if you have a reputation for stepping on other people to get ahead, how can you expect others to trust and follow your leadership?
The book of James says an underlying cause of selfish ambition is failure to depend on God. We fail to depend on God when we don’t ask him for what we need. Interestingly, the reason we don’t depend on God is because we want to serve our own ambitions rather than serving others. We are tempted by the wealth and pleasure we believe we can find in the world without God.
The remedy lies in submitting to God. We submit to God whenever we put our ambition in the service of others ahead of ourselves. Do you want to rise to a position of authority and excellence? Good, begin by helping other workers increase their authority and excellence. Does success motivate you? Good, invest in the success of those around you.
We also submit to God when we go to Him first for our needs. Are you ambitious because you fear what others think of you? Ask God to be your source of security. Are you competitive because you fear losing your job? Try asking God to provide for all your needs. Only when we totally rely on Him and His power do we truly succeed.
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