A Great Read from Dave Harvey

If you haven't yet read Dave Harvey's Rescuing Ambition, don't hesitate to purchase a copy. Dave skillfully addresses the delicate subject of ambition, leading the reader to a God-centered application of what most Christians would consider a dirty word. The Tuesday, August 17, 2010 entry is from Harvey's writing. Here is another small excerpt from his book:

"If church history were a dojo, the English Puritans would all be black belts. Seriously, they had some staggering insights into the Christian life. But when you read them, you have to wonder: did these guys get paid by the word? Long words, long sentences, long paragraphs, long books. Even the abridgements to their books are long. But in combing through all that Puritan writing, you'll inevitably stumble on a statement that's crisp, clear, and short enough to make you think for a long time: 'If we have not what we desire, we have more than we deserve.' In this brief sentence from his classic book The Art of Divine Contentment, Thomas Watson sketches the portrait of a saint at peace. On its face, contentment seems at odds with ambition, doesn't it? But for us to be rescued from selfish ambition, the warm colors of godly contentment must be mixed with the bright colors of godly ambition...When we don't have what we desire, it's important to acknowledge that. We would be foolish to ignore it. If what we lack becomes our primary focus, ambition becomes contaminated with self. If you want an ambition that screens out self and shrinks discontentment, mull over this idea: we already possess far more than we deserve."

Dave Harvey, Rescuing Ambition