Restless Wonderer

In yesterday's post I drew out a first principle for dealing with our ambition: s eek God's glory, not your own .  Abraham was our example as we contrasted him with the builders of the tower of Babel.  The New Testament also warns about the relationship of selfish ambition to jealousy and its perils within the Church.  Paul challenges us with the following words: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,    not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (Philippians 2:3-4).  These words come just before a passage I referred to in the first post in this series, where the apostle proceeds to describe, in the most beautiful language, Christ's sacrificial humbling of Himself and taking on the form of a servant.  Christ is our example in his abandonment of self for the sake of others.  Although Paul doesn't give us any juicy details, it seems clear from how he writes

"One day I'm going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember".  Those are the words Andreas Lubitz, who set the plane he was flying last week on a downward trajectory on a collision course in the French Alps, reportedly spoke to a former girlfriend last year.  The statement is chilling when interpreted as the statement of a narcissistic individual who would commit mass murder in protest against his working conditions and to ensure his name would enter the history books.  Yet the same words could also be said by a person who intends to make a positive difference in the world and be remembered for it - something that most people would regard as a noble ambition.  Ambition is complex. Without it we might make no progress and attain no goals, but with it we seem to tread on dangerous ground.  Failure to achieve our perceived potential, along with feelings that others (perhaps even those less able than ourselves) are advanci

Where does parental pride slip over into real pride (you know, the really bad 'deadly sin' kind)?  I sat in my son's BB (Boys' Brigade) parents' night this evening and brimmed with pride as he participated with his peers. My daughter has her GB display later this week, but she already received two awards - first place in craft and second in Scripture (mirroring her dad's crafty approach to the Word???) - at the dress rehearsal on Saturday past.  Surely it's ok for me as a parent to be pleased with my children's achievements?  Yes, I believe there is an appropriate parental pride, or perhaps I should call it delight or pleasure in our beloved children? The strange thing on these occasions, though, is the competitiveness that emerges in the parents as we sit and watch.  There's no doubting that this tips us over the edge of appropriate pleasure in our kids into something unhealthy.  I'm by no means immune - against all better judgement I feel a thr

Hi!  So, I've finally decided to start blogging.  I've no idea how often I'll post here or how long I'll keep this up, but I thought today was a great day to begin.  Why?  Because it's the first day of Spring and we've just had a solar eclipse.  These things together got me thinking.  I love the turning of the seasons.  Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter all have their charms - each has a beauty of its own.  I've been particularly enjoying the coming of Spring this year, though.  Somehow the lengthening of the days, the brightening of the skies and the (admittedly stop and start) increase in temperatures has been speaking powerfully to me of the potential for fresh beginnings.  Some weeks ago the snowdrops poked their heads above the soil in my front garden, followed at a respectable distance by the miniature narcissi planted beside them.  I'm still waiting for the daffodils to open and the trees to bud, but nature tells me that Spring is certainly