Joy in Truth

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

— Philippians 2:3

From the time we are young, the world feeds us one of its most repeated—and most dangerous—messages: “You can be anything you want to be.” It’s plastered across classroom walls, shouted from graduation stages, and echoed in motivational speeches. The message sounds inspiring. It promises freedom and possibility. But beneath that optimism lies a subtle deception that has led countless people into disappointment and despair. Because the truth is, no matter how much effort I give, I cannot be anything I want to be. I was not designed to be an NBA star, just as someone else may not be built to be a surgeon, a singer, or a CEO. When we chase dreams born out of selfish ambition rather than divine purpose, we find ourselves trapped in a painful cycle of striving, frustration, and emptiness.

Philippians 2:3 exposes the root of this struggle: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Many people feel like failures not because they lack discipline or passion, but because they are pursuing goals that God never assigned to them. The world’s promise of unlimited potential sounds empowering, but it quietly places the entire burden of meaning and identity on our own shoulders.

Our culture defines success by fame, wealth, and recognition. Social media celebrates the hustlers and influencers who tell us to “chase the bag,” “make your own path,” and “manifest your destiny.” Yet real life tells a different story. A young athlete trains tirelessly for the pros, but his body is not built for that level of competition. A college student chooses a career that promises wealth and status, yet after years of study and sacrifice, he feels hollow and unfulfilled. An employee spends his days comparing himself to others, believing that if he just works harder, he’ll finally “make it,” but his striving only leads to stress and exhaustion. A young girl dreams of becoming a supermodel, chasing the spotlight of fame and approval. In the process, she surrenders her worth to the opinions of strangers, forgetting the truth of Psalm 139:14—that she is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Instead of believing what God says about her, she allows the world to define beauty and success, and the more she chases that image, the emptier she feels inside.

Each story ends in disappointment because these desires were born in self, not in God’s plan. James 3:16 warns, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” When ambition comes from pride or insecurity, it can never bring peace. It might deliver a momentary sense of achievement, but it will always leave the soul hungry for more.

When dreams are rooted in selfish ambition, they become idols. We start to attach our worth to whether we succeed or fail. The outcome of the dream determines how we see ourselves. And because those dreams were never aligned with God’s purpose, we end up disoriented when they crumble. Disappointment sets in because the path we chose doesn’t fit our God-given design. Anxiety follows as we try to force things into place through our own strength. Eventually, depression creeps in as we begin to question our identity and worth. Romans 2:8 makes this clear: “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Self-driven ambition cannot satisfy because it rejects God’s truth in exchange for our own agenda.

The Bible paints a far more hopeful picture. We are not random beings left to invent our purpose; we are handcrafted by God with intention. Ephesians 2:10 declares, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That means you were made on purpose, for a purpose. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12:17–20 that not everyone can be the same part of the body. The eye cannot be the hand, nor can the foot be the head. God designed diversity in gifts so that each person would have a unique and essential role to play. And in Jeremiah 29:11, God reassures His people: “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” His plan is not to crush our desires, but to reshape them into something eternal and fulfilling.

When people surrender their ambitions to God, the results are transformative. The athlete who never made it to the NBA becomes a youth coach and ends up mentoring hundreds of kids, teaching them not only about sports but about faith, character, and perseverance. The student who left behind a high-paying career discovers peace and purpose as a teacher, shaping young lives with patience and wisdom. The employee who stopped comparing himself learns to serve his coworkers with humility, and God raises him up as a trusted leader. The young girl who once dreamed of the runway finds her worth in Christ and begins encouraging other young women to see their beauty through God’s eyes instead of the world’s filters. In every story, their desires were not destroyed—they were transformed. Their goals didn’t disappear; they were redeemed and given eternal significance.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Notice the order. We delight in Him first, and then He fills our desires. God is not against us having dreams. He planted them in us. But He insists that His kingdom come first. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When we humble ourselves before Him, He reshapes our ambitions into something life-giving rather than soul-crushing. God wants our desires to be fulfilled, but He wants them fulfilled His way.

Putting God first means we stop chasing the world’s definition of success and start rooting our identity in Christ. It means beginning each day in surrender, praying as Proverbs 3:6 instructs: “In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” It means asking the hard question: does this dream glorify God, or just myself? It means trusting His timing even when we don’t understand the delays. And it means learning to find joy not in what we achieve, but in who we are becoming through Him. When we delight in the Lord above all else, He reshapes our desires so that they bring joy to us and glory to Him.

Putting God first doesn’t mean He kills your dreams—it means He transforms them. When Jesus is first, the desires that once led to disappointment begin to lead to fulfillment. When He is first, striving turns into peace. When He is first, selfish ambition turns into God-given purpose. And when that happens, failure loses its sting. You no longer live burdened by the need to “be anything you want.” Instead, you find freedom in becoming exactly who God designed you to be. In that truth, you discover that the greatest lie of the world has no power over the greatest truth of heaven: you were created with purpose, and your life finds its meaning not in what you achieve, but in whom you serve.