Are you trapped in a pursuit of ambition?

Carey Nieuwhof Nov. 7, 2022

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Many of us ambitious, A-type people want to succeed. That's the way we get rewarded the most (in our minds).

People start to take notice of our ministry, of our gifts, of how "good" we are. If a church is growing, it strokes egos, makes us feel like we're "succeeding" and can make us feel great about ourselves.

But church leadership and humility don't always go hand in hand. Pastors and humility don't always go hand in hand. Not often enough anyway. It's been a personal struggle for me for years.

In the process of wanting to be big, we can sacrifice people, we can sacrifice faithfulness, we can sacrifice our souls. (Thought this one would be hard to write—it is.)

God is not the enemy of big. Those who claim that are dead wrong. The early church grew by 3,000 in a single day, and the vision of heaven in God's heart is of a multitude too great to count that the church has a pivotal role in reaching.

But God is the enemy of pride. Too many leaders are quick to claim credit and just as fast to blame others for failures.

True, there there are some very "successful" and humble pastors, and ironically there are also "unsuccessful" pastors who are quite full of themselves.

But Jesus and humility always went hand in hand. And Jesus taught a lot about any of us who would exalt ourselves (Matthew 23:12).

Ironically, when you really let go, and realize how little you have to offer, it's at that point that you actually begin to release the power of God.

God, make those of us who lead realize how limited we are, and how truly powerful and good you are. Let me see how little I bring without you. Every day.

This article was first published atcareynieuwhof.com. Used with permission.

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Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church. He’s the author of several best-selling books, including, Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects But Everyone Experiences. Carey speaks to leaders around the world about leadership, change and personal growth. Learn More »

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