What the Bible Says About…Ambition

Matthew 16:21-27 –From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, God be gracious to You, Lord! This shall never be to You. 

  But He turned and said to Peter, Go, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you do not savor the things that are of God, but those that are of men. Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever desires to lose his life for My sake shall find it. 

  For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works.

Mark 9:33-37 –And He came to Capernaum. And being in the house, He asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves in the way? But they were silent. For in the way they had disputed among themselves who was the greatest. And He sat down and called the Twelve and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. 

  And He took a child, and embraced it, and set him in their midst. And He said to them, Whoever receives one of such children on My name receives Me. And whoever receives Me does not only receives Me, but Him who sent Me.

Mark 10:35-45 –And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Him, saying, Master, we desire that You should do for us whatever we shall ask. And He said to them, What do you desire that I should do for you? They said to Him, Grant to us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left hand, in Your glory. 

  But Jesus said to them, You do not know what you ask. Can you drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said to Him, We can. And Jesus said to them, You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized with you shall be baptized. 

  But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared. 
  And when the ten heard, they began to be indignant with James and John. But Jesus called them and said to them, You know that they who are accounted rulers over the nations exercise lordship over them. And their great ones exercise authority on them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever of you desires to become first, he shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. 

Philippians 2:1-4 –If there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tenderness and mercies, then fulfill my joy, that you may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. 

  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Do not let each man look upon his own things, but each man also on the things of others.