Is there such a thing as an Ambition-O-Meter? A gadget that not only tracks what I want to achieve but also measures the intensity of my desire to achieve it. A psychological instrument that tracks my propelling aspirations as well as my underlying motivations.

There’s no doubt—some people are fiercely driven!

Perhaps if the expertise of a social scientist were combined with the ingenuity of a biomedical engineer, an Ambition-O-Meter could become a reality. Remember, you heard about it first in this Bible Bite.

Maybe someday it will appear as a wildly popular app on our devices. Imagine glancing at your smartwatch and seeing a daily ranking of your most important life goals, each one vying for the top spot!

Can you imagine hooking up the Apostle Paul to a newly invented Ambition-O-Meter? It is one of the earliest versions of the machine, quite primitive compared to what we are accustomed to now.

Paul walks into the dimly lit room and sits in the special chair with the sounds of nature playing in the background — chirping birds, thunder, ocean waves, and gurgling brooks. The therapist, ever so skillfully, attaches the little adhesive nodes to his chest and head to do some heart and mind sensing.

Thirty minutes later, she’s amazed at the results on the screen —the clarity of his focus. The energy and zeal he has for certain things, but undoubtedly more striking are the things that do not motivate or excite him in the least — failing even to register on the Ambition-O-Meter.

Now she is scrambling to find the right words to break the news of his gross aberrant abnormality gently; he is off-the-charts when compared to the majority of her clients.

“You seem to have one and only one focus in life. It comes through loud and clear in all the tests. You are living solely to please your Lord. Nothing else seems to motivate you. You’re a rare specimen indeed!”

Paul told the Corinthians that the ultimate for him would be to enjoy the immediate presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had heaven on his mind in 2 Corinthians 5. But then he added:

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9

The Amplified Version puts it this way:

“Therefore, whether we are at home on earth away from Him or away from home and with Him, we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to HIM.” 

Then he added:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” 2Corinthians 5:10

Paul wrote to Timothy:

But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. 2 Timothy 3:10 NLT

Perhaps you can think of other verses where Paul reveals what he lived for and what his life revolved around.

To the believers in Philippi, Paul said:

“For to me to live is Christ.” Philippians 1:21

You are her next client.

The vintage Ambition-O-Meter is now being attached to your chest and head to do some sensing in your heart and mind. What in your life gives you energy and ambition? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What propels you through the day? What are you striving earnestly to achieve? Seriously, what gets you excited in life? What gives you a thrill? What ignites a fire inside you?

The Apostle Paul, propelled by a burning fire of devotion and indebtedness to Christ, was focused on gaining the approval of his Lord and Saviour in eternity.

Ask yourself: Am I living for eternity? Is my life anchored in eternal values? What is the source of my stamina? Is it love for Christ?

The most rewarding assessment from the Ambition-O-Meter therapist would be: 

“You sure don’t fit the mould of the rest of my clients. You seem to be living for a higher purpose. You are marching to the beat of a different drummer. What’s confusing to me is I have other clients who say they, too, are Christians – but Christianity for them seems like an add-on or like an atrophied appendage. For you, it seems to be the defining feature of your life — the very core of your existence. You must really love that Man Jesus!” 

And how would you respond to her if she said that to you?