Ambition vs. Hope

7/25/2021

What follows are responses to a question asked separately on eight different messaging threads this morning. The answers are intermingled to somewhat represent timing, but most responses did not have the benefit of having read all the other responses. So, what may sound repetitive at times is simply confirmation of the testimony of MANY Saints.

Not a dictionary answer, but a spiritual instinct answer: What is the difference between ambition and hope, and how do each react to setbacks and “failures”?

Ambition will be defensive to try to feel right anyway. Judgmental if someone exposes them or gives up and tries something else. Hope is humble and resilient! They are glad to know as soon as possible if they are off course... of course! Because they are not an end in themselves. They are looking toward something or SomeOne, oh so much bigger.

Ambition is characterized by inner drive, determination, grind, and the idea that if you work hard enough you can achieve your goals. Hope rests on God and others and has very little to do with “working super hard.” Ambition reacts to failure by berating itself and trying harder...Hope reacts by looking beyond the immediate circumstances to what comes next.

Ambition aims to promote self... perhaps to “feel good” about self. Hope leans on something outside of self. Both “get deeper” with setbacks... ambition spirals and slides further into self, either being devastated or sacrificing love in order to try harder. Hope must become more reliant on the outside source.

That is something I’ve personally wrestled through a lot over the last year or so. I would love to hear others’ answers. But one thing I see for sure in myself: if it has to do with accomplishing or achieving something so that I can feel like I am worthwhile, that is ambition. No matter how “nice” or even “sacrificial” it seems, it is rotten to the core. When I am motivated by that, if I “fail” to “achieve,” I am embarrassed and discouraged and full of self-hatred. The opposite of that is agape. And as was said to me once, “How can you fail at that?”

Ambition has self and the impacts on me, and how I’m perceived, and MY part in the plan as the backdrop. Hope grounds my stability and ability to function in the promises and faithfulness of God. This failure is perceived through that lens. It’s personal and depressing for the ambitious. It’s calibrating for those with Hope.

Ambition keeps my eyes centered on me. What I want to be or achieve and doing it on my own devices and plans regardless of others. Hope—seems to be reliant on Someone else. Trusting myself to others. My Hope is in You!

Ambition says, “I know where I ‘should’ be,” or “I want to attain this,” and “I can do this, I can put in the work.” And then when it fails, all the self (even if you justified it) that’s wrapped up in it feels like a failure and wants to give up or beat itself up. Hope says, “God is a miracle worker, and I can trust Him step by step. Day by day.” Hope is looking constantly upward and outward to others too. And when failure comes, they are still in the palm of His hand and can ask Him to help them up one more time. They don’t want to give up because it’s not for themselves. It’s for His Honor.

Ambition is the desire to accomplish. Its engine is self-life. Biblical faith is a desire to see God’s plans come to fruition. Its engine is faith. Ambition reacts to setbacks and failures with either more ambition to overcome those setbacks and failures or by being crushed and quitting. Hope reacts to failure/setbacks with a sense of security grounded in faith, knowing that God will work all things together for good.

It seems that the difference is the source. If it is for me and my reputation or comfort or satisfaction, then it’s ambition. If the source is God’s desire for me, then I want it because He knows what’s best, and I trust Him (and I want His wisdom and love to be seen through what he’s done in me/us). If I don’t see an ambition accomplished because of failure, then I am open to all kinds of sin of easier forms of immediate self-satisfaction, depression, etc. If I don’t see the hope fulfilled because of failure or whatever, then my eyes go to Him, and want to do all I can out of love for Him to see that thing accomplished (confess, repent, dig in). And if it’s just that the timing isn’t right, I can wait patiently...nothing for me...He is my portion and reward.

Ambition is horizontal and inward. Hope is vertical and outward. When ambition fails, it reacts and becomes more inward. Hope never fails.

Ambition seems to be completely selfish. Getting what one wants, even at the expense of others. Ambition is devastated and prideful when failure comes. Hope is very Other, pulling others along with them into the Hope they have. And Hope can look up after failing and keep smiling.

Ambition seems to say, “I want a legacy at the end of my life, like I accomplished something for God.” Hope seems to say, “Let God get what He deserves and wants. However, I can die and be a part of His Joy. That is why I’m here.” Hope is bulletproof to failure.

Ambition comes from me, my flesh, my reputation, my image. Hope springs from someThing/One outside of me and the vision HE has for me, HIS desires for me, chasing His Dream and Goals. Ambition crumbles at failure, or gets mad or even more “determined,” or gives up. Hope gets knocked down, then gets back up again with a smile to make them wonder because of where the hope is springing from. Hope still feels the same things, but the response is completely different!

Ambition is devastated or “doubles down” in bootstrap effort with setbacks/failures. Hope looks to Jesus as my only answer and draws near to Him.

Love. Ambition gets hurt because of failure (my own or others) because I have something in it for myself. While hope imagines what can be for someone and believes GOD’s promises and loves big!

Ambition is selfish and will respond to failure by withdrawing back into its shell and saying, “I’ll just give up because I’m a failure and can’t do anything right.” Hope is having your eyes towards Heaven and Jesus. It responds with, “Jesus is my sanctification! I messed up, but He just wants my heart. Life is not performance-based.” Hope always gets back in the game.

Another point that has been personally convicting—not every ambitious person is a high achieving, risk-taking, type A personality. You can fear failure more than you crave amazing accomplishments, but it’s still about you and how you feel about yourself. Instead of swinging for the fences, you try to foul off some pitches and eventually draw a walk. You may have only made it to first base, but at least you didn’t strike out, like you might have done if you tried to hit the home run. People who have died to selfish ambition are actually freer to swing for the fences because the results aren’t about success or failure. Or if the third base coach says to lay down a bunt, that’s fine too. Or if the manager decides to send in a pinch hitter, that’s OK, if that’s what the team needs. Anyway, my own brand of selfish ambition has mostly been the play-it-safe fear of failure kind. I hate that. It has hurt others and robs Jesus of fruit that belongs to Him. No more of that self-conscious holding back. Swing for the fences like Peter. “Happy stupid” is way better than self-conscious stupid.

Amen. Important distinction. I’ve felt (and sadly fed) both kinds of ambitions. The “I want to be important and significant” kind and the “I don’t want to mess up” kind. But they are equally crippling and DO come from the same self-focused place. Focus on Jesus winning hearts and getting His full way...THAT is the only way to fly!

Ambition measures how accomplished it is. Hope looks at what “could be” or “will be.” Ambition reacts to setbacks with sorrow or emotions because that’s not what “success” looks like. Hope looks at “Where do we go from here? What can my next step look like?”

Seems that ambition at its root is self-centered. Ambition is about me. Hope is based in Jesus. Reactions based in ambition are self-focused—“What do they think of me?” Pride—“I can’t believe I did that.” Hope-filled responses to failure are about being soft and repenting, then stepping forward in faith.

Ambition believes that I have something good in me, that somehow, I am strong enough. And then, when setbacks and failures come, it’s a wrecking ball and sends me into self-oriented gyrations and panic, and even depression and despair. Hope is knowing there is Someone bigger and stronger than me, which is a relief because I know how weak and helpless I am without Him. Setbacks and failures then cause me to lean on Him all the more. With a tear and genuine repentance, I can quickly get back on my feet and keep going and then I can turn around and encourage someone else who may be tempted or has failed in the same area.

Ambition is all about me and failure would cause a fussing, fuming, pouting, ugly response. Hope has to do with Jesus and His promises and me believing him and failure or setbacks would only cause me to look to Him even more with hope and love and belief.

Ambition is based on self; failures require “self-improvement” using one’s bootstraps, which eventually results in further failure which turns into despair. Hope is based on Something or Someone outside oneself; failures may result when that external focus is lost due to distraction or sloppiness but is more easily restored because it only requires refocusing on that Someone and not fixing self.

Yes! Hope has outward eyeballs for others, and it’s not about me at all. I want to go there with you all...

Ambition is frustrated, prideful and angry when things don’t work out. Hope is patient, humble, and loving, and learning from what’s happened—trusting that God will work all things out for Good.

Ambition is me-fueled... Hope is God-fueled!

Ambition is Self-ish and all wrapped up in me. Hope is Other-ish and wrapped up in Jesus and what He wants and what that looks like in me and those around me. Ambition has nowhere else to turn but inward in response to failures, so it results in just an inward spiral downward. Hope looks outward and upward, rooted and Secure in Jesus’ Blood and takes the next Step, because it’s not about me.

Ambition seems like it is centered on me, and what I want. Hope involves others, something, or Someone outside myself that I am dependent on to see it happen. In the face of failure, ambition would spiral inward either in despair or more pride and self-focus that “I can do this, and nobody is going to stop me.” Hope might be tempted with despair when encountering failure, but with True hope, it never was centered on my ability or successes anyway. So I can keep hoping and carry on. :)

I think hope has complete trust, open arms, huge eyes, and peace beyond understanding, no matter what. Jesus makes this possible.

I think someone who is ambitious thinks they have what it takes to meet their goal and get the job done. Someone who has Hope knows that they can’t do this on their own, but they Believe there is a way if they are faithful with the small things and listen to the whispers. “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the Hope that lies before us. This Hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT

Ambition is about me therefore failures are devastating. But Hope is about Jesus and what He is doing and going to do and can do. My failures are part of the learning and the change He is bringing about, and I am still full of hope.

Ambition says it’s up to me; I make it happen, or not. So, when setbacks and failures come, I am downcast or fall apart. Hope is falling back and relying on Jesus’ ability, and what He has already done. Setbacks and failures are met with trust and anticipation of what God will do through it and despite it. Ambition requires no faith; hope is ALL faith.

Ambition is based purely on “self” as the center, whereas hope is defining things the way God does regarding the future. Ambition responds to failures with only fleshly responses (anger, fear, discouragement, anxiety, excitement, giddiness). Hope defines things God’s way and believes that it matters. Failures or so-called results are filtered through God’s definition and believes He is the standard, not me.

Ambition has its origins in me, so failure plunges me into self-focus, doubt, comparison, and inactivity. Hope has its origin in Jesus, so failure causes me to stop and look at the Anchor of my life for conviction, answers, strength...and Hope springs up!

Ambition falls apart because there’s no Love in it. Hope is filled with Love and Knows Jesus is my one path forward. And... Ambition doesn’t have much of a Reason to keep going after failure. Hope trusts and sees what could be and has a Reason to make it through the day.

Ambition sets out to “accomplish.” Hope lets go, submits, and lays down the things that get in the way of seeing that hope come into reality. One is about getting; the other is about letting go.

Ambition is self-serving and “how can I get what I want,” whereas Hope is trusting, knowing that God is on the throne, not a pursuing of self-interest. Ambition is crushed by failure. It can be devastating. But Hope in the face of failure is still trusting, not crushed because it wasn’t based on self to start with.

Ambition gets easily embarrassed and emotional when it fails. Hope is humble and eager to start again and has a twinkle with a tear in the eye because they are glad and thankful to get to learn and grow up and See!

Hope is in Jesus and His promises and that He is Able. That doesn’t change in failures or setbacks. Always a place to go. Ambition is trying to accomplish something. If I fail or have setbacks it is discouraging and comes back to “me.” Hope is freeing even when I fail because it never changes in Him. Ambition is condemning and destructive whether failure or seeming success because it is based on self.

Seems like even the events that bring us closer to the fulfillment of our Hope doesn’t have anything to do with “results.” At least the way humans look at results.

Ambition is totally self-centered and trusts in itself to do better next time. It’s weak and short-lived and slips easily into despair. But Hope trusts only in God’s promises (to finish the Work that He’s started, and others), and so can endure significantly more failure and pain.

Ambition is birthed from (me, My, I) and has a singular focus and idea of what success and what someone might gain and either is hurt or insulted if not brought to fruition and a “back to the drawing board” mindset to find another way. Hope springs from pure motives of what would be best and highest for the purpose and brings glory to God. And since it is born of purity of heart there is no failure.

Hope is based on the fact that we know we are nothing and can be nothing apart from Jesus’ Blood and Spirit. There is a security that my performance doesn’t change the Hope that’s still there. Ambition comes from trying to be something or somebody in and of myself, and if I fail it therefore reflects on me and my perceived worth.

Hope continues on the path, ambition either stops or turns away to follow self’s path—when hard testing and failure show up.

Ambition requires all that I am and have to succeed. Hope offers all those things on Jesus’ altar, whether or not it succeeds.

Hope says it’s waaaayy bigger than and beyond me. So, when I fail or succeed then it would be rather foolish and stupid to make it about me! And Jesus melts the failure into the beautiful tapestry in such a way that it’s actually more glorious than if the failure hadn’t happened. Ambition couldn’t see any good from failure.

Ambition has someTHING I will get out of XYZ circumstance. Hope is always about what will Jesus get out of XYZ circumstance.

Ambition is based on what I want, but hope is based on what Jesus Wants and has Promised. Ambition must strive to get what I want, but Hope knows that Jesus WILL do what He wants.

Ambition is what *I* can do, Hope is what *He* can do.

To me, ambition is having some goal to “be somebody” or accomplish a task which would satisfy myself. But hope is longing for what satisfies God and trust that He can finish the Work He started. If I’m ambitious then I would be more apt to feel devastated or discouraged if things don’t go as “I” planned. But if I’m hope-filled, I turn to God and trust He does work all things for Good and He really loves us. I can remember His Promises and remind Him of His promises and keep moving forward with Trust and Worship with my brothers and sisters.

Ambition is trying to force what I think needs to happen and “my” role in it all—it is therefore devastated or embarrassed at failure or tries to ignore it. Hope is a confidence in where Daddy is taking us and His end result is as good as Reality now. Failure or setbacks are then just opportunities to discover His Way and come closer to Him!

Hope in Jesus is very stable; ambition goes up and down with performance. Only Hope can smile in the midst of failure.

Ambition loves success; bristles or folds at the slightest mistake or perceived disapproval from another. Hope remains true when faced with adversity, because Jesus is that person’s Rock no matter the current circumstance.

Ambition is “I’m stupid” and “I’ll never make it.” Hopeless junk that is all about me... Hope is... He is able to do mighty things. Trusting Him and move forward.

Ambition springs ultimately and only from pride. Whether the self-loving or self-loathing kind. Failure or success only feeds the animal and drives us deeper into pride. Hope springs from humility, choosing to be “little stuff,” recognizing that we are nothing without Jesus, and celebrating that. Recognizing that He does work all things, even failure, for the good of those that love Him!

If our goal is to climb to the top of a mountain: Ambition is to try to reach the top by my own strength, intelligence, and will power. My dedication is proof that I can do it; the energy comes from self. When failures come and they will, I feel lost, defeated, and hopeless because I cannot make it on my own. Hope is to know our Savior, Guide, and big Brother, Jesus has climbed to the top and he knows the best path for me! Hope is to know we can’t make it up on our own, BUT HE can! He can transform us in the process to have feet like hinds’ feet. Any failures are only opportunities where we need to learn to yield and depend more on Him and His People.

Ambition’s energy source is in “self.” True Hope’s energy source is in Jesus. Ambition can crumble in the face of failure or try to regroup based on one’s own skills and willpower. Hope can’t be really shaken by failure because it’s not dependent on my performance or seeming setbacks.

Ambition cripples you with inward spiraling and doubt when you have setbacks or failures. With Hope, you stay outward and free to love others, because it’s not about me and my “results.” Ambition could be insecure, striving to “live up” to a me-centered standard. Hope is centered on Jesus. So, failure in the first case makes me crumble, but in the second case it just pushes me closer to Jesus (with even more hope) because I know I have nothing outside of Him to lean on. Hope has a path forward. Ambition is stuck.

Ambition drives inward, hope drives outward. Ambition is taken, hope is given.

I was thinking how hope sees the blood of Jesus. When God looks at us, he sees us as perfect because of the blood of His Son. And we can choose to see that too—in each other and ourselves. Ambition sees only performance and comparisons. It seems like it often wants to be better than others—instead of dependence.

Ambition equals self-energy to be God. Independant. Reactions to ambition are self-preservation, boastfulness, and pride. Hope equals Love. Reaction of hope is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Ambition: It’s all about me, my performance, and how I feel about it. I become determined to try harder to make sure I don’t repeated my failures (which is impossible in my own strength). Hope: With God, all things are possible, and his love is new every morning! My security, response, and future are totally wrapped up in who He is, what he’s done, and His vision for who I/we are becoming because of His power.

Ambition is to make myself look good or feel good. It is never satisfied. Hope is rooted in a Person other than myself and realizing I don’t have any supply apart from Him. In Hope, I can ask for forgiveness when I fail and receive it. I can even forgive myself because the forgiveness is Real and complete, from God and His people. I can’t even think of ANY forgiveness for failure in ambition. I’d be on my own.

Ambition is about self and hope is about Jesus and faith in Him and what He gets and what He can do. Setbacks and failures don’t crush us or stop us because it isn’t about us. We can talk to Him about our setbacks and failures and ask Him how to proceed. Hope says He will get what He wants, and Faith says He is with me, and He will help me to follow Him. He will teach me His ways and get what He wants. Hope is rooted in our faith in Jesus and ambition is rooted in self.

Ambition finds its start in “me” and my “good ideas” “for” God. It’s driven by “me.” When failure comes, despair and self-deprecation set in. Then, pulling up by bootstraps to “go on” if the ambition hasn’t been recognized. If ambition IS recognized, repentance follows. Hope is found when I’m submitting to God in whatever is going on. He is central and I’m joining myself to HIS will, watching Him, watching with Him in whatever situation. When failure or loss comes, though painful, He was at the helm all along. Submitting to Him now, and learning the lessons He provides, is natural.

Ambition is self-centered. True hope is God centered and can only come from God. Ambition plummets when faced with failure, spiraling onto more self-focus that is hard to see past. Hope in sight of failure or setbacks is realizing you have nothing and can do nothing apart from Jesus and that is actually the best news ever. You become completely dependent on Him as your ability to keep going and you find yourself in love with Him all over again.

Ambition seems to come from a place of flesh and is based on self where hope comes from a relationship with Jesus that comes from participating with Him through the sufferings and difficulties of life. Sufferings and difficulties producing in us a Character that is not of this world, and I Hope learned from walking through them with our friend Jesus.

Hope believes there can be Change because God is Love, and Love hopes all things (the best of and for others). So “failure” isn’t Real because we can’t lose in Him. Ambition, on the other hand, is rooted in a need for success and an admiration of self. In failure, self will disappoint; Abba won’t.

Ambition—“I am determined to do better. I’m never doing that again. That didn’t work I will try something else.” ...self. BUT HOPE—“Daddy, that hurts. But there is a way forward. Can you help? I know you can!” ...dependence “Daddy, I just hurt someone. I’m sorry. Show me the way forward. Together we have the answer.”

True hope is based in the character and faithfulness of God and this hope will not disappoint. Ambition is only about self which is never satisfied and will bring disappointment.

Ambition runs out when defeated over and over... It can invoke comparing, competition, and jealousy since it is birthed in self. It’s demoralizing and ends in self-deprecation. Hope is infinitely there. If I fail it drives me forward with a sparkle of a possibility that I will get closer to my goal, and if I fail, I get up again and hope is still there waiting with its sparkle of a possibility that is achievable.

Ambition finds its own way at any expense and is unsustainable without a lot of energy... prone to dissipate when frustrated. Prone to find its wellspring from within and therefore pride when success comes or depression when failures do. Hope rests elsewhere and can be greatly sustainable if placed in the right place. Its ROI is great when In Jesus even when “as small as a mustard seed”... Less likely to fade when challenged. More likely to produce true joy when success comes and stability to hold the line if success is slow to come. It is more likely to exist when there appears no reason to be hopeful.

With Hope, eyes are on Jesus and His path and perhaps a crooked smile even when it hurts. It’s about Him and His Plan. When we fail, He is part of the solution—or IS the solution. Ambition is the opposite—eyes in self and great pressure to get it right FOR Jesus. Failure is devastating. And the Hope in all that is that Jesus has made a way for us to change.

Ambition is a flesh sickness that seeks to accomplish dreams, goals, positions, based on one’s perceived/deceived abilities, and can never bring the very fulfillment the ambitious looks for—a chasing after the wind. Failure: regardless of what “may” be gained... “What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose one’s soul? Hope rests, making one a blessing to God and others along the way. There is no failure in the (true) Hope of God’s promises fulfilled.

Ambition is about me and pumping up self. Hope is for God and looking forward to His Dream. Ambition is wounded pride and a selfish negative spiral. Hope gets up and knows Jesus’ Blood is big enough and it’s not about me. As I think about it more it sounds like bondage versus Freedom!! :)

It came to mind that by ambition we are going to set our own goals. Success or failure is going to set the goals by iterations. Failure will be self-centered, and success will lead to self-deceiving excitement. Hope will look to our Lord and Savior and Friend and whatever He has in mind. Failure and success are not issues in themselves because we trust Him and just want to see Him smile.

Similar thought, it’s about connectivity. Hope is connected to Father. Ambition is connected to self.

Yes, ambition (in the flesh sense) seems to be the aiming and trying to accomplish something in my own strength, by my own willpower and doing something “for” God or self reasons. Hope, in the midst of failure, is acknowledging again the “grace” that first brought me to Him in the first place, when I realized I could never do anything apart from Him, and He is my/our only Hope. Hope leads me to turn to Him, bowing my knee, and in love choosing to believe Him for the provision and strength to do whatever He wants.

Ambition says, “I *have* to do this to keep moving forward, to grow, to succeed, to please God...;” And when you can’t seem to “move forward” it feels frustrating or devastating. Hope says, “I GET to move Forward because of YOU, Jesus. IN YOU I’m Free. Flying Free on another level entirely.”

Some contrasting lives of ambition and hope: Cain/Abel, Saul/David, Judas/Peter, Joseph’s brothers/Joseph

I was thinking about praying about things I know God wants done. Am I praying with ambition? ...An eager desire for my prayer to be answered and self is getting in the way of my motives—I/we have been praying about this for so long, and I really want to see this wrapped up, *I* want to have my prayers answered. Or, am I praying with hope? ...I will never stop banging on God’s door about this because I DO believe it is His will, and He deserves it! I will hold onto hope because He wants it done, and I am not afraid of seeing that I’m the one standing in the way, because I do want God’s Plan and Dream to be fulfilled, so I’m happy to get anything and everything out of the way. And when there are seeming setbacks, ambition is discouraged and worried that it is my fault, and asks fewer and fewer times, or more sporadically whenever the ambition energy flares back up. But hope says I know God is in control, and that timing is relative (and I have a pea brain!), and God KNOWS BEST, to the smallest minutia, and here I am, Father, purify me so You can have Your way. Hope *always* trusts Daddy’s strength and Daddy’s love.

If I have ambition in a situation (“I want to do this right,” “I want others to think well of me in how I handle this”) then I discover I tend to feel bitter/hopeless/discouraged/overwhelmed by the problems of a situation. Hopelessness/frustration signals ambition.

It seems that we always have a choice of how to live each moment, including how we react to different circumstances. Either walk by our own ambition (sight, flesh, self) or walk by Hope (faith and trust in Him.)

Hope is untouched by failure because hope’s source is outside of us. Ambition is about us and what we think we can accomplish so failure causes a reaction.

Hope knows Jesus has a way through—Is the Way through—no matter how disappointed, miserable, embarrassed, or discouraged I feel about my failure. Hope has Hope ;) and a sense of Peace and Joy in the road ahead. Ambition (shall we simply say pride) wants to curl up and die, pull away, come up with a “dramatic” solution or punishment. Pride gets ugly.

Ambition is all about me... my ability and strength to get this right or whatever. Then, going inward and spiraling down because in and of myself, I’m hopeless. Hope is all about Jesus... His Ability and Strength is the only source and well that I draw from, so that I can look upward and outward with Love.

A metaphor... Ambition is a Venus Flytrap rooted in dirt. Only looking out for itself and what it wants by “eating up” those that get in the way of its self-consumed agenda. Hope is a butterfly—flying and pollinating flowers with joyful abandon. Always Seeing with Heaven Eyes and encouraging others to do the same—inspiring others to Look Upward and Bloom! You barely notice a butterfly, but one can see it’s effect everywhere in meadows of beautiful flowers.

I was thinking how ambition is always up and down and about my performance, all about “me.” Hope is rooted in Jesus only... “In Christ alone my hope is found.” The source is different.

When a person has Hope, they are soft humble and dependent. An ambitious person can only be prideful and independent.

Ambition seeks for self. Hope is Love-based. Hope seeks for others best and future. Hope inspires and empowers change for their sake. Hope trusts beyond what is felt or seen, knowing in Faith that if we continue to sow and water, God will be involved. What we Hoped for will be Authored by Him as we purify our “asks,” seeking the best for others rather than for ourselves. Ambition falls into despair when personal reputation and goals are missed, driven by pride. Ambition has to crawl over others, both in thought and deed, to be satisfied because, secretly, it knows God won’t honor the desire to succeed when driven by pride. Hope deferred makes you feel sick in the pit of your stomach...an aching, and prayer beyond words to see someone free from the chains that bind them in knots and hurt those around them. It’s a hatred for the sin and even the things damaged by it.

Hope has that Love response in it that says, “It doesn’t matter what happens to me!” I’m not giving up. You are never out of the fight! I will keep praying, asking, showing, loving, and nurturing to see you be all Jesus wants you to be! What I see or feel isn’t what I base that on but what I want to see in you :) And like that scene in “A Beautiful Mind,” in the face of failure, “Why don’t you try again tomorrow.” And I believe that tomorrow really can be different because Jesus sits on the throne, and it rests on His shoulders. And He and His have had that selfless attitude for me so I am going to hope and sow and love no matter the workload or pain involved.

Hope always has the Best in mind for others and will sacrifice itself to see others succeed and prosper in Jesus. And will always bring it back to “What does God say?” Ambition wants to “fix” something and roll right over people and situations. Such a huge difference.

Ambition is about self...what I want to accomplish or how I want to feel about myself...so it crumbles under failure because the outcome isn’t what “I” wanted. Hope is looking for what Jesus wants, and I can ALWAYS get back up and keep pressing toward that resiliently because it was never about me to begin with and I know HE is not going to stop short of accomplishing what He wants.

I think too for me personally, ambition reacts to others and protects my view of myself. And Hope is sensitive, slow to respond, and thinks what else could it be? That reaction is still something I want to be different in my life, if y’all think to pray about that one with me :)

I’ve learned through hard knocks that Hope says “It matters to obey God.” regardless of how you feel because He is God, and He knows what’s Best. Choosing His Ways despite our past or someone else’s past brings supernatural involvement/Grace which is what we all desperately need!!!

Ambition is self-centered pride, finding an identity and worth in accomplishments and admiration of men. Hope is humble and soft, I need You, looking to my Shepherd to provide the Right path no matter what it looks like. Content in His Will in any circumstance, and believing that He’ll work all things together for good, as He promised. When setbacks and failures happen, don’t crumble, but instead with a soft, repentant heart look into His eyes, and be honest. With Jesus, I’m humbled by failure, and I can Love more moment by moment—once again He works it all together for the good. He’s amazing!

Ambition despairs of self with its failures. Hope faces sins and takes responsibility and learns from mistakes and failures to find JesusLife in new, fresh thoughts, attitudes, and actions which will ultimately bring newness of Spirit within. Hope is totally “other” than self-life.

Ambition will not have the aroma of Jesus to those twice born no matter how well-intentioned it appears to be on the outside. God will make it evident by the Fruit it bears. Hope will be a sweet aroma to all who have given their lives completely to Jesus. So, if we are ambition-based, we will shun anyone or anything that may seem like a setback or failure because deep down inside it’s mostly about “our” performance and “self”-improvement. Hope invites any Light and Help it can get even if it is perceived as a setback or “failure” because it knows we must become smaller so He can become GREATER.

Hope genuinely desires to see God vindicated; His ways are right and wise. He deserves to get what He desires, what brings Him joy and honor in every situation. Ambition is about vindication for my flesh—that I was right, not foolish, etc.

When I think of these contrasts, it seems like the ambitious were characterized by self and striving and total lack of Friendship with GOD—whereas the others had Real-ationship, Friendship with a Person, and total reliance, dependence, and falling back on God and who HE is, no matter the failure.

As was mentioned, ambition is about self and ego, but also striving to accomplish based on our strength and efforts and “goodness” rather than Christ in you the hope. It doesn’t have anything to do with our efforts, but with our faith and His Goodness and mercy to us and what He has chosen to accomplish in us. There is a humility to that knowing we can’t do it on our own. We can sow and water, but we know not how... If it is not about us and what we are accomplishing or how we are growing or our efforts, the response to failure can be one of faith, hope, and security in Him, what he has promised, and who He is.

Ambition relies on self. Hope believes, and trusts in something (Someone) else, for someone else. Ambition reacts to failure by blaming self and maybe trying harder next time or even giving up altogether. Hope continues to trust when there are setbacks. When there is hope, setbacks are often not really setbacks. It made me think of “The Postman” giving out Hope like candy. He gave for others.

It seems that hope and ambition are similar in that they both want to see something done, something fulfilled, completed. The difference is that in hope there is the recognition that *I* don’t have control of the outcome. I can’t “make it so.” My hope is in another or Another to see it through. I just can’t “do it on my own” (and don’t WANT to). Ambition, however, thinks or assumes that I DO have *control* and can “make it happen” on my own, without outside help or Help. *I* decide, accomplish, complete, succeed. “He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it” versus pulling myself up by my bootstraps. One brings Peace. The other strife.

Ambition believes that I have a worth that is worth attaining and preserving. Hope recognizes that any worth is always and solely in Jesus!

Ambition shows that I have some other goals in life other than Jesus and fulfilling His Dream around me. Hope looks for Jesus’ Dream and stays focused, undistracted by anything in the world—watching for His Smile and seeing His Plan unfold!

Ambition is about me—who I can be or what I can accomplish. Hope is about God—his character and promises. Believing He has plans to prosper and not to harm me, believing he’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him! Ambition is depressed, frustrated, and angered by failure. Hope keeps going and keeps looking up with joy in failure because it is anchored in Something beyond me.

Hope believes in Jesus’ promises. Ambition believes in me and what *I* can do, my smarts, my effort, my good intentions. Ambition will eventually crumble one way or another because it is earthly and not of God. Hope is everlasting because it derives its strength from Jesus. The slain Lamb is the only source of life, strength, joy, peace, rest, and Hope!

Hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into us through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5) Seems that ambition often disappoints because it is motivated by self-love, and we try to get what we want by our own means

There is such a thing as completely selfish, carnal ambition, which is relatively easy to dismiss. There is, however, another kind that is more devious and sometimes harder to recognize: We may have a picture in our minds about where we SHOULD be in life, what God must want us to be doing, or what we think God wants us to accomplish for us to please Him. Perhaps, to some extent, these feelings are even true. We have a legitimate gift inside us that is burning to get out, and we picture all the ways we think we should be expressing it. Therefore, we strive to express it, to get into the situations that would allow us to express it, and we feel like a failure, and imagine God is displeased when we don’t see the opportunities. The error in this is based on a misunderstanding of what is important to God. I had a discussion once about how to make sense of the seemingly meaningless activities and seasons when it seems like there’s nothing important to do, and asked him if he feels peace in such times. He said, “I do feel peace even when there’s nothing apparently important to do because I stay focused on WHO I AM, rather than WHAT I DO.” I would tie this back in with that and say that ambition is based on wrongly believing that God measures us and our lives based on externals. “I have found David Son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart” was what God said when NO ONE knew him, and he had done effectively NOTHING worth writing home about. That was the product of him sitting alone in the wilderness with some sheep, and making his heart a beautiful, beautiful place. Ambition brings restlessness, but it is replaced by hope and peace when we realize that God measures us by the state of our HEARTS, rather than whether or not we “Accomplished great things for God today.” Oftentimes, there are no apparently “great things” He even wanted us to do today, and He certainly isn’t judging us based on these externals. Of course, over time, the state of our hearts WILL affect our circumstances and those around us, but the ways and the times in which it does so are in God’s hands, and when we start focusing on what we do (ambition) instead of who we are, we will (to some extent, at least) miss both of them. When we focus on making our hearts a beautiful home for Him, we are filled with hope for what He will do, and we can be sure it will bear fruit.

Hope is deep and durable and patient/long-suffering and Jesus-centered; ambition is self-centered, unstable, and futile.

In my life—ambition has a self-centered idea of who I think I should be, what I think I should be doing, or how I think I should be growing. The means of getting there are from self too, so they WILL fail, and frustration, panic or depression are the result. Hope looks at Jesus and His promises for where I’m heading and what’s possible today, trusting Him in the day-by-day journey. Setbacks and failures don’t diminish my hope. Where I’m going and the One who is getting me there are both rock-solid. In others’ lives—ambition has a carnal, horizontal view of others’ shortcomings and a fleshly approach to what they need or how to “fix” them. Hope sees with Heaven’s eyes the love and passion of the Great Shepherd for His sheep, and His ability to touch and transform and fulfill all His promises in them. It fills them with hope and vision and inspires them, even in the middle of setbacks and failures. That seed of hope catapults them into a very special future in Jesus that would not have been possible otherwise. In the Big Picture of what God ultimately wants to accomplish on the earth...ambition has a narrow idea of what that will look like and the steps to accomplish it. Setbacks and apparent failures are frustrating and disorienting. Hope understands deeply that God’s purposes stand firm through all generations. Passionate to see it through with Him and do our part, humble and dependent to follow His lead and let Him unfold each step. Setbacks refine us and drive us deeper, but they don’t shake our Hope in where this is all going.