Recently, while in Las Vegas waiting to board a plane, I overheard a conversation between a middle-aged man and his brother.
Both had just been released from rehabilitation centers, one for drugs and the other for alcohol. According to their story, they were flying home to their families against their psychological therapist’s advice.
Their conversation swung from arrogant overconfidence to regretful depression, finally concluding with their profession that they were more mature and ambitious than the peers with whom they were confined during rehabilitation.
Ambition, defined by dictionary.com is “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.”
As the men departed and I boarded the plane, their use of the word ambition dominated my thoughts. It had ignited memories of my teen years watching Herbert W. Armstrong serve as God’s apostle, meeting world leaders and delivering the good news of His Kingdom.
“The right goal will arouse ambition,” Mr. Armstrong wrote in The Seven Laws of Success. “Ambition is more than mere desire. It is desire plus incentive—determination—will to achieve the desire. The right goal will be so intensely desired it will excite vigorous and determined effort. It will fire one with incentive.”
If these men had understood the definite purpose for which they were created and placed on Earth, if they grasped their incredible human potential, they would be propelled forward by purpose toward life’s goal.
God used the powerful ingredient of ambition throughout Mr. Armstrong’s long life as he grew into the role of unofficial ambassador for world peace, preaching the gospel of the good news of the coming Kingdom of God to all nations (Matthew 24:14). As he traveled the world meeting emperors, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, diplomats and politicians, he kept us up-to-date with regular letters addressed to members and co-workers.
My teen years were surrounded by those captivating dispatches Mr. Armstrong wrote on his typewriter while flying above the clouds, over oceans, and across countries. At times, I felt as though I was sitting right next to him on that plane participating in the drama of the climax of the Philadelphia era (Matthew 17:10-11; Malachi 3:1).
Ambition is mentioned 28 times in Volume 1 of his Autobiography. Mr. Armstrong learned early in life the value of this key ingredient. He called it “the vital ingredient that has been missing in most human lives.”
During his teenage years, he attended school while maintaining part-time employment. Whether delivering newspapers and grocery goods or working as a draftsman, he was learning the valuable lesson of accomplishment.
During his summer vacation at age 16, he obtained his first job away from his hometown, working in the food service industry as a waiter for a hotel.
“The owner was a single man of perhaps 45,” he recalled in his Autobiography. “He complimented my work highly. Soon he began to tell me that he could see qualities in me that were destined to carry me to large success in life. He constantly expressed great confidence in me, and what I would be able to accomplish, if I were willing to put forth the effort.
“It is impossible to estimate the importance of this sudden arousal of ambition—this injection of an intense desire for success—this igniting of the spark of determined energy to achieve worthy accomplishment.
”This was the turning point of my life. Suddenly life became a whole new ‘ball-game.’ There had awakened within a totally new outlook on the future.
“This, I believe, is the vital ingredient that has been missing in most human lives.”
By age 18, he was studying the book Choosing a Vocation, which led him toward the fields of journalism and advertising. He then counseled with his uncle, who was a successful advertising executive. His uncle challenged him by asking how much ambition and drive he was willing to exert.
“I went home and thought it over thoroughly,” Mr. Armstrong continued. “Ambition is not only the desire but the determination and the will to achieve the desired goal. For two years ambition had burned fiercely within me. I wanted both success and to become a well-educated person. I knew I wanted these goals intensively enough to drive myself to any needed extent to succeed.”
Though he admitted this teenage ambition was pure vanity, it was “the first start toward later accomplishment.” Looking back, he said: “[T]hough little realized at the time, all this experience was building the necessary foundation for the worldwide activities of later life.” God was able, over time, to change this selfish ambition into godly ambition that would serve His Work.
Like Mr. Armstrong’s experience, our ambition must rise above the self.
Selfish human ambition is the “get way” of self-importance, self-glorification, self-indulgence, selfishness, greed and competition. These are the bitter fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17; Galatians 5:19-21).
Godly ambition is the “give way” of love—outflowing concern for the good and welfare of others. This is the spiritual way of life that is founded in the tree of life (Genesis 2:9; Galatians 5:22-26).
You live in a world held captive to its god, Satan the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9). His “get way” permeates the minds of men, women and children. He knows he has only a little time (Revelation 12:12) and is working tirelessly to turn teens away from God and His end-time Work (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
God prophesied that, because of lawlessness, He would take away from the nations of Israel the vital ingredient of right ambition. Gone are the hard-working productive farmers, soldiers of valor, impartial judges, wise leaders, qualified craftsmen, entrepreneurs and public speakers.
In their place, we witness infantile leadership across every sector of society—from the land to the legislature—reaping a bitter harvest of lawless oppression from the cities to the suburbs. Wasteful, expectant, historically ignorant, entitlement-minded ignoramuses are upheld as role models (Isaiah 3:1-5).
God’s prophesied curse has also struck what remains of the organization Mr. Armstrong founded (Revelation 3:14-19). Yet, the Philadelphia Church of God holds fast to this key ingredient of ambition! God has built His Work based on bold, trusting faith in His Word, raising the ruins, and building it as the days of old (Amos 9:11; Haggai 2:23)—and it strives to nurture this ambition in its young people.
Today you witness a worldwide ministry that serves congregations spread across the globe. You are accustomed to the Key of David program, sounding God’s final warning message from His apostle (Revelation 10:11). You are familiar with the Philadelphia Trumpet, analyzing world events in light of Bible prophecy (2 Peter 1:19). You are spiritually educated by Royal Vision and enriched by True Education magazines.
With two campuses stretching the Atlantic, Herbert W. Armstrong College is educating and training young adults in His revealed truth, teaching them how to live God’s way and support His Work. Imperial Academy teaches children and teens true education with vision. Philadelphia Youth Camp adds to the local congregational activities by continuing to turn the hearts of teens to their physical and spiritual fathers (Malachi 4:5-6).
This is the framework with which your hopes, dreams, desires, goals and ambitions must be built in order to attain happy, productive, lasting success.
On your ambitious quest forward, be sure to use Mr. Armstrong’s Autobiography and The Seven Laws of Success as key study aids in combination with God’s biblical Word.
Like Mr. Armstrong, obtain part-time work while at school. Then seek out and obtain advice from your parents and those successful in business. Perform a self-analysis of your strengths and weaknesses in order to see where your abilities are best suited, both now and in the future.
The numerous blessings that have unfolded and impacted your life are a direct result of the humble sacrifice, dedication, steadfastness and righteousness of God, His apostle and His precious very elect (Revelation 3:7-12).
In the World Tomorrow, God will draw upon you to aid in the reeducation of mankind (Psalm 45:16). Your ambition today will prepare you to serve as His royalty in His ambitious Work as it expands into the universe.
There is not a day, hour or minute to lose. The time has come for you to become a more ambitious teen for God.