December 7

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” — Matt 18:1 BSB

The Bible doesn’t hide the faults of its saints. It presents them as they were, imperfections and all. The disciples of Jesus, for example, got caught up in an unseemly argument about who would be the greatest, thinking that Jesus would soon become an earthly king. Similar ambitions and quarrels still happen today, even among good people. But that doesn’t excuse such behavior.

There is, however, one right kind of ambition in Christ’s kingdom—the desire to grow in spiritual greatness. It’s good to long to be close to Christ, to have much of His Spirit. One person used to pray, “Lord, make me an uncommon Christian.” Paul spoke of striving toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God. A common prayer of the faithful is “Nearer, my God, to Thee.” If our desire is for spiritual greatness, it’s a sign of a living faith. Being content with where we are spiritually is a sign of stagnation, not growth.