Everything in the Kingdom of God seems to be upside down compared to the world.

This is no more evident than when it comes to what the world defines as “ambition.” This is ordinarily portrayed as an admirable quality, a key driver of what we call “success.”

But is ambition so admirable in God’s eyes? The Apostle James sounded a cautionary note in James 3:15-17:

“This wisdom (of the world) is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.”

Have we got it backward?

Our culture teaches us to achieve, go higher, gain recognition, be admired.

Christians are just as susceptible to such inner drives, not just in climbing the corporate ladder and making big bucks, but in ministry as well.

But what if we’ve got it backward? What if, rather than striving to be at the top of the pile, we seek to go to the bottom of the pile and push others up instead?

What kind of world would result if all of us did that?

But you could ask the familiar question, “Yes, but what’s in it for me?” Aren’t I supposed to be all about No. 1?

In God’s kingdom, the way up is down! But how can I do that when every impulse tells me to charge ahead and be “successful?”

That brings us to the Paradox of Christian living …

Humble Yourselves

As written in 1 Peter 5:4-6, “… When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time …”

Peter was saying that sometime in the future, for some of us the near future, when our Lord will either return to Earth in glory or call us home.

Either way, believers are going to meet up with Him face-to-face sooner or later, and scripture tells us to live our earthly lives in the light of that eventuality.

Pleasing God

Wouldn’t you like to please Him with a life well lived? It’s never too late, as written in 2 Corinthians 5:8-10:

“… but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.”

If you want to be ambitious God’s way, then make your intense desire to please God. And a good start is humbling yourself.

Jesus had a special heart for children. He attracted them in droves. In Matthew 18:3-5, while in the company of a child, He said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So, whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me.”

Jesus always seemed fascinated with the little things in life, like widow’s mites, little children, the poor, the broken-hearted, sparrows, broken pieces of bread, little boats, etc.

There He was, often stooping to attend to the least of His creatures and yet, in Colossians 1:15-17, we are told that, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Wow.

Jesus demonstrated throughout His earthly life the counter-intuitive principle that in His kingdom, the way up is always down.

Since the verse above says, “… in Him all things hold together,” that makes Him the all-encompassing “cosmic stickum” keeping all of creation together by His personal will.

Now someone to listen to, you think?

How About You?

Have you joined the race to the bottom? Remember Matthew 23:12: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

If He could lower Himself, surely, you can.