Holy Ambition Намуна

A Broken Spirit

Remember the prayer Nehemiah spoke after getting his heart dislocated? What did he ask right after he approached God with praise?

Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (Nehemiah 1:5-7 NIV)

Nehemiah confessed his sins and those of his people and his family. What can we learn from this?

Before we continue to study Holy Ambition, we need to take a cue from Nehemiah and get a clearer view of God Himself. Without it, there is a danger of letting our motivation, vision, and self-dependency take over. That leads to pride.

Pride is something God does not like. Not one bit.

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. (James 4:6 NIV)

Why is pride so bad? We’re not talking about a healthy self-image or recognizing something we’ve accomplished. Pride is a faulty view of who God is and who we are.

The opposite of pride has been translated as a contrite spirit. It means being sorrowful, humbled, and remorseful as you recognize your dependency on the almighty God, Creator of the universe.

So, how do you develop a Broken Spirit?

● Hold a high and lofty view of God: He is all-loving, all-powerful, and utterly holy. Worship Him!

● Hold an accurate view of yourself: You (and every other human) fall short of the glory of God and need Him desperately.

● Renew your commitment to God's agenda: It's not about you. Yes, Holy Ambition is God using the gifts and dreams He has given you, but you are called to fulfill God’s agenda, not your own.

Nehemiah lived as an exile in a culture strikingly like ours: hedonistic and pluralistic, with no recognition of the one true God. But when God went looking for a man or woman who would stand in the gap for Him, someone He could strongly support, He found one with a Dislocated Heart and readiness to develop a Broken Spirit. Then He called him to the third condition of Holy Ambition: a Radical Faith.