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Godly Ambition
by
Major JoAnn Shade
Godly
ambition. Is there such a thing? Or is that an oxymoron? If
ambition is a “strong desire for fame, power, etc.” as Webster
suggests, then that doesn’t appear to be a godly desire.
However, if it is the second definition, “the thing so
desired,” and that “thing” is compassionate, servant
leadership, can it be appropriate for a Christian leader to
desire that? And if it does exist, does it exist for married
women who share a ministry with their husbands. What might it
look like if it does?
The only specific mention of ambition in my Bible’s
concordance is that of selfish ambition (Gal. 5:20, James
3:14).
So does godly ambition exist? Consider these texts:
• Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working
for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you
will receive an inheritance form the Lord as a reward (Col.
3:23)
• Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (He.
12:1)
• Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already
arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for
which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do
not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one
thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil
3:12-14)
• Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord. (Rom. 12:11)
Apart from these texts, the lesson is clear in the two
parables found in Matthew 25. It begins with the parable of
the ten virgins, in which the women are cautioned to keep
their lams trimmed, prepared at all times to respond to the
coming of the bridegroom. The second parable, that of the
talents, speaks sharply to the one who buries what he has been
given, rather than using it faithfully.
Catherine Booth had something to say about ambition. Writing
to William in the early days of his preaching experience, she
tells him:
As the beloved of my soul I tell you that I see ambition to
be your chief mental besetment, not a besetment if rightly
directed and sanctified . . . This, dearest, is in my opinion
full consecration to God; this is being like Christ . . . it
is a soul spending itself simply for this one end, which God
will honour, and which He always has honoured since He first
spoke to man. (Bramwell-Booth 1970, 106)
About twenty-five years ago, my divisional commander brought
me a book back from his sojourn at the International College
for Officers in London. Written on the flyleaf of Catherine
Bramwell Booth’s biography of Catherine Booth were these
words: “JoAnn, to my favorite candidate for General: may her
life inspire you.” Now, I must admit, I’m not too keen on
getting that job, for one, because I don’t like to fly. But
maybe I have what it takes to be a divisional commander, or
the Chief Secretary in France (je parle francais, oui?)
There’s only one problem with that kind of thought, and it’s
not that I’m female. Well, actually that is part of the
problem, but the real issue is that I’m a married female. When
I chose to enter the covenantal relationship of marriage at
age twenty, I slammed the door on any ambition I may have held
for positional Salvation Army leadership. Recently, there has
been an election of a new Salvation Army general. As a few
friends and I noted in our discussions and e-mails surrounding
the choosing, there were five candidates nominated for
general, four male and one female. The majority of those doing
the voting were women, and at least 80% of those women were
married. Yet no married woman candidate? The fact is, to my
knowledge there has never been a married woman candidate for
general, and there has never been a married woman territorial
commander. I can only name a handful of married women
divisional commanders. It just doesn’t happen. Danielle
Strickland writes painfully of the reality: “When my husband
thinks of his potential and future he grins. When I think of
it I grimace. It’s killing my dreaming potential for my place
in The Army and the call God has on my life” (Strickland 2006,
5).
Some may read her words and cringe, for we don’t want to hear
those kinds of words from a married woman officer’s lips.
Somehow, it’s almost embarrassing to admit to that kind of
“ambition.” But wait. It’s not about the power and prestige of
the position, but for me, it’s about being able to have
influence as to the direction of this ministry that I have
served for more than half my life. I’ve paid my dues in the
trenches, including inner city Philadelphia and Cleveland,
learning a great deal in the process, but those dues aren’t
the right color currency, because they’re held in a purse.
Now, do I want to be a divisional commander? A fair question,
except that’s not the way the Army works. We don’t choose our
assignments (now that’s another whole essay waiting to be
written). However, if I had my ministry assignment of choice,
it would be to combine writing and spiritual direction, run a
retreat center, or serve as a slum sister in North
Philadelphia (although my current family obligations would
make that last one difficult at the present time). But would I
be interested in helping to set the direction of a division,
shepherding and motivating officers, and tackling the problems
that a DC faces? Yes, I would.
Of course, the next question would be, am I qualified? With
twenty-six years of corps officership on my career sheet,
probably not in the current method of selecting divisional
commanders. Certainly I don’t have the in-depth business
experience that comes from moving up through the chairs, but
good leaders, as retired General John Gowans recognizes, use
his strategy: “I got clever at recognizing the gifts of the
people around me and persuading them to get busy” (Gowans
2005, 11). Certainly, if Gaither’s assumption is correct, that
“leadership for the future is about our need for transparent,
transformational leaders who know how to follow” (Gaither
2005, 9), then I am ready to apply.
Now, to conclude this essay, I am going to speak particularly
to Salvation Army married women officers. Anyone else can
listen who wants to, but these words are to my sisters. What
do we, as dedicated women, servants of Jesus, do with the
godly ambition the Lord has placed within us?
1. we can decorate the married women’s ghetto (see
Strickland’s Married Women’s Ghetto Rant for an explanation of
that image, www.armybarmy.com)
2. we can maneuver and manipulate our husbands into positions
of leadership, and therefore have wifely influence on their
decisions
3. we can satisfy our ambition vicariously through our
husband’s achievements
4. we can take Mrs. General Higgin’s advice: “It is not for us
to judge as to the relative importance of the work we do for
Him, whether this or than. Our care should be to do those
things that are nearest at hand, and to do all that we can,
‘heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Higgins 1931,
269).
5. we can find additional ministry opportunities outside the
lines of the denomination
6. we can defect in place, remaining but on our own terms
7. we can kill off our husbands (see the movie Chicago)
8. we can individually request appointments that are more
appropriate for our abilities, creatively suggesting
alternatives to the more traditional roles
9. we can work for change
10. we can operate as a cockroach (cockroaches can get in
anywhere)
11. we can leave
12. we can strike, protest, and chain ourselves to the fence
outside national headquarters
13. we can take Prozac
14. we can encourage and/or pressure our husbands to work
toward change
In the end, whether male or female, we need to come to grips
with the tension between selfish and godly ambition. Very
seldom are our motives totally pure, and it is only by being
in community with other believers that we can see the
distinction:
We have one another in common. Rather than each of us
playing a single role with our individual functions, in
koinonia we participate in the ministries of one another. You
are present in what I do, and I in what you do. I am part of
your ministry, and you are part of mine, because we are both
part of Christ. I am accountable for your well-being, as you
are for mine. In mutuality, we share one another's burdens,
delight in one another's successes, and offer ourselves fully
in service to one another. We call one another to greater
fullness. It is not you against me, instead of me, under me,
or over me. It is you in service to me, and I to you, both of
us thereby expressing our service to Christ. (Schnase 1993,
101)
References
Bramwell-Booth, Catherine. 1970. Catherine Booth: The story of
her loves. London:
Hodder and Stoughton.
Gaither, Israel L. 2005. Leadership for the future. Caring:
the holistic ministries of the
Salvation Army. 11:4., 7-10.
Gowans, John. 2005. Thoughts on leadership. Caring: The
holistic ministries of The
Salvation Army. 11:4, 11.
Higgins, Mrs. General. 1931. Opportunities and
responsibilities of wives of
headquarters officers. The Officer. 52:4, 265-270.
Schnase, Robert. 1993. Ambition in ministry: Our spiritual
struggle with success,
achievement and competition. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Strickland, Danielle. 2006. Married women’s ghetto rant.
Journal of Aggressive
Christianity, www.armybarmy.com.
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