I'm a singer/musican that has been involved in worship ministry, both leading worship and being on a team. I want to hear from mature artists what GOd has shown you regarding ambition. I have laid down my ambitions and desires as a worship singer and musican more than once in order to express my singular devotion to the Lord. However, He is the creator of the talent, and I know that He desires diligence and determination in anything he has gifted us with. Faithfulness, discipline, planning, and integrity all seem to be spiritual structures that keep our amitions from driving us into error or selfish pursuits. (Vanities)

The way I keep healthy about it all is thinking about the music as my work, as my service, and applying GOds principle of work to the realm of my artist endeavors. It seems to be one of many types of self employment in a way, and a healthy balance of work, family, play, and rest is needed. THis isn't always easy when you are doing something you absolutely love. I mean, when I clean houses for a living, it's easy to draw the line, workdays done, time to go home and shift gears. I've done my duty, and now for the fun. BUt people who do what they love to do for their livelihood have a different private world to put order to. There aren't the same neat tidy compartments to put things in, to judge things by, to discern balance in.

Any takers? I want my ambition to be sanctified. I want it in GOds pocket to spend as He wishes. But it doesn't work to deny that it is there within me---that is the road to depression for me, to deny what I love to do. (And what I think I was created to do)

I know what it's like to live with no hope, no vision, no desires, no ambitions. I lived that way for many years, until Jesus Christ broke depression off of me. Now, I have to be very watchful about my old ways of just laying down everything I care about and allowing myself nothing. Then, also I understand that I don't want to be a talking parrot bolstering myself with motivational tripe and having my focus only directed towards a personal goal.

Do you know what I mean? Yes, praising Jesus is an accepted personal goal, but within that goal are many other smaller goals, such as increasing skills, improving abibilties, lessons, time management, giving up things for better things, ect.