If you want God to use you as a spiritual leader, you desire a good thing. 

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1, NIV)

Yes, the desire to be used of God is good, but you must guard your heart, lest it become contaminated with the mixture of impure motives. 

Here are 7 warning signs of ungodly ambition.

#1 - You lack personal holiness.

To perform in public is easy, but to live righteously in private takes true devotion to and fear of God. Many have gifts but don’t know the glory. Many have charisma but lack character. Living a lifestyle of sinfulness is a sign that your godly motives have been replaced by fleshly ambition.

#2 - You lack a personal devotional life.

If you don’t pray or read the Word consistently, you have no business being behind a pulpit. Spiritual leaders are supposed to help other believers grow spiritually. But how can you truly do that if you yourself haven’t grown? If you lack a prayer life and a devotion to God’s Word, then that’s a sign that your motives are becoming polluted by worldliness. 

#3 - You care more about crowds than you do about people.

If you don’t love God’s people, then why serve them? For financial gain? For status? For popularity? When you look into the faces of those to whom you minister, do you see people with needs, hopes, hurts, and stories? Or do you just see useful tools for your agenda? To have the heart of God is to have compassion for God’s people.

#4 - You have an unhealthy desire to be seen and recognized.

We all appreciate being encouraged and recognized for our work, but if you constantly crave the spotlight, you need to seriously evaluate your motives. People with an unhealthy desire for recognition are operating out of insecurity and rejection that hasn’t yet been healed. They need to be seen, celebrated, and noticed in order to feel fulfilled. These people love to see their faces on flyers, love to be seated in the front row, love to be noticed when they walk into a room, demand VIP treatment, and generally crave attention. 

#5 - You can’t receive correction.

When your motives are impure, everything you do becomes contaminated. Impure motives force you to build the ministry on self, not the Lord. Thus, when correction is brought to you, your first reaction is to be defensive, to protect what you have built upon self. Those who attempt to lovingly correct you are labeled as “haters” or “jealous.” Granted, you can’t give your attention or validation to everyone who brings criticism. Generally speaking, I think you should ignore the internet theologians and keyboard crusaders. But when those who know and love you, those who walk in relationship with you, bring correction, you should take that seriously. Rather than use deflections like, “Well, I’ve been in the ministry for blank amount of years” or “Well, they just don’t understand my anointing,” perhaps you should humbly receive the correction that comes from those who love and know you. If you can’t take legitimate correction, it’s time to check your motives.

#6 You imagine that the purpose of God’s favor is to elevate you.

When God elevates one of His servants, His goal isn’t to elevate a person; His goal is to elevate His Word - His message. God doesn’t raise you for the sake of you. Ministry is not so much a promotion as it is a death to self. Preachers and ministers, please, remember that we are not the main characters in the story. We are simply servants who serve the greater purposes of God. And we can very quickly be replaced. Count it joy that you can be a part of what God is doing, but remember your place. It’s about the lost. It’s about God’s glory. Walk humbly.

#7 You view other ministers and ministries as your competition. 

Ministry is not about competition but cooperation with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. If you feel pains of jealousy whenever something good happens for another ministry, your motives need to be purified. If you feel like the success of others is somehow taking away from your success, then your motives need to be purified. If you take joy in the failings of other ministries, then your motives need to be purified. Why see the success of others as a threat if we all have the same goal? 

Again, if you want God to use you as a spiritual leader, you desire a good thing. But watch carefully for these signs of ungodly ambition, lest ungodly ambition destroy your ministry and your soul.

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