Ambition and Success in the Workplace...continued
Last time we saw how ambition and the drive for success can build up our egos and turn us away from God. We offered the words of Father Schryvers as an antidote. But as inspiring as those words may have been, just reading them once, or once in a while, won't do the trick.
The fact is, the struggle between worldly ambition and a rightly ordered focus on God by developing our spiritual life continues, day by day. While not everyone who aspires to be boss, get rich, or wield power does so using illegitimate means, one common daily pattern that ambitious types share is the relentless effort it takes to succeed. For the most part, success doesn't come easy. It's not uncommon for people to put their heart and soul, along with every minute of their time and every last drop of their energy, into achieving their goals. And so, day by day, you're naturally going focus almost exclusively on your worldly pursuits. There's just nothing "left over" for your spiritual life.
As the sheer energy of the daily hunt for success consumes ambitious people, they can easily find themselves isolated from their families, their friends, and, most disastrously, from God. While families and friends might push back from time to time and give them (figuratively or literally) a slap across the face to shake them out of their often self-centered thoughts and activities, it's not like that with God. God loves us and wants us to love Him. But He doesn't force us to do so. Taking time to develop your spiritual life really means taking the time to love God as He loves you.
And so it's important that we pray for the grace to return God's love as freely as it is given. We need His grace as we pursue our daily work, wrapped up in our worldly ambitions. His grace helps us pursue spiritual perfection, even as we pursue success in the workplace. Understand that the pursuit of spiritual perfection isn't some "extra" thing we do in addition to working hard to succeed. You can't wait until you've got "left over" time and energy to love God. Keep working, but remember that your soul comes first. Without that understanding, and the consequential thoughts and actions that flow from it, you're left with only yourself and your success, driven each day by personal ambition rather than love of God. Is that what you want?
Just remember that reciting prayers from time to time out of a sense of duty or even a fear of Hell won't cut it. It's better than nothing, but just barely. If you're having trouble understanding just how God really does love you, take out a crucifix and look at it. Think about what you see. You who really were nothing before God created you, are loved that much by your Creator. That. Much.
With the understanding that despite your worldly success, you're nothing except for the fact that God created you and that He loves you, you can pursue your ambitions without losing your soul. You can work hard on the job, and still grow ever closer to God.
Let's end with Father Schryvers' sage advice:
The fact is, the struggle between worldly ambition and a rightly ordered focus on God by developing our spiritual life continues, day by day. While not everyone who aspires to be boss, get rich, or wield power does so using illegitimate means, one common daily pattern that ambitious types share is the relentless effort it takes to succeed. For the most part, success doesn't come easy. It's not uncommon for people to put their heart and soul, along with every minute of their time and every last drop of their energy, into achieving their goals. And so, day by day, you're naturally going focus almost exclusively on your worldly pursuits. There's just nothing "left over" for your spiritual life.
As the sheer energy of the daily hunt for success consumes ambitious people, they can easily find themselves isolated from their families, their friends, and, most disastrously, from God. While families and friends might push back from time to time and give them (figuratively or literally) a slap across the face to shake them out of their often self-centered thoughts and activities, it's not like that with God. God loves us and wants us to love Him. But He doesn't force us to do so. Taking time to develop your spiritual life really means taking the time to love God as He loves you.
And so it's important that we pray for the grace to return God's love as freely as it is given. We need His grace as we pursue our daily work, wrapped up in our worldly ambitions. His grace helps us pursue spiritual perfection, even as we pursue success in the workplace. Understand that the pursuit of spiritual perfection isn't some "extra" thing we do in addition to working hard to succeed. You can't wait until you've got "left over" time and energy to love God. Keep working, but remember that your soul comes first. Without that understanding, and the consequential thoughts and actions that flow from it, you're left with only yourself and your success, driven each day by personal ambition rather than love of God. Is that what you want?
Just remember that reciting prayers from time to time out of a sense of duty or even a fear of Hell won't cut it. It's better than nothing, but just barely. If you're having trouble understanding just how God really does love you, take out a crucifix and look at it. Think about what you see. You who really were nothing before God created you, are loved that much by your Creator. That. Much.
With the understanding that despite your worldly success, you're nothing except for the fact that God created you and that He loves you, you can pursue your ambitions without losing your soul. You can work hard on the job, and still grow ever closer to God.
Let's end with Father Schryvers' sage advice:
Saturate the whole work of your perfection with these sentiments of absolute confidence in God, and entire diffidence in self. And above all, in your spiritual life, act rather from love than fear. Love dilates the heart and stimulates energy; fear narrows and paralyses the heart. Love engenders confidence and peace; fear begets trouble and agitation. If your eyes are constantly fixed on self and its miseries, fear will invade your heart; if you turn them on Jesus, Who is ever good and powerful, love will take possession of it. Allow yourself to be drawn by Jesus; do not permit fear or distrust to trouble your soul. Stifle at once all disquieting thoughts, all depressing ideas, and every sentiment of sadness or discouragement. These things are the fruits of the forbidden tree. ‘Perfect love casts out fear.’ (Jn. I. 4:18)
Comments