"Holy Ambition" - Pastor Daniel Gouveia

Growing up in the beautiful country of Portugal, I was very early exposed to one of the most aggressive sport cultures in the world. Most young boys have one big, overpowering ambition and that is to become a highly successful soccer player. Every generation has one or two really great and famous athletes but in my days, even though he is six years younger than me, one name stood and still stands above them all. When he was only fourteen years of age, he threw a chair at one of his teachers and got expelled from school. He said that the teacher disrespected him. This only made Cristiano Ronaldo even more famous among his friends and also gave him exactly what he wanted. He now had the opportunity to do what he enjoys the most in life and dedicate himself fully to pursue his greatest ambition, which was to become the best soccer player of all times. Many would agree that he reached his objective.

Cristiano Ronaldo is without a doubt one of the greatest athletes of all times and one of the most successful soccer players that ever existed. His trophies and achievements are so outstanding that they built a museum for his awards in the Portuguese island where he was born. Recently they also built one in Hong Kong. As of September 2025, he has 663 million followers on Instagram, making him the most followed person on the platform ever. His Youtube channel grew in a relatively short time to 76.6 million subscribers.

Ronaldo has been known for years not only as a very talented soccer player but an extremely focused, hard working and incredibly dedicated person. He doesn’t party, he doesn’t travel more than he needs to, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t allow his body to get lazy, he goes to bed early, wakes up early, he chooses a very healthy diet, he is the first one on the field for practice and the last one to leave. When he goes home, after resting for a while, he hits the gym to become better and better at what he does. At the age of forty he is still playing professionally, which is extremely rare for a soccer player.

When I consider Ronaldo’s life and achievements, his work ethics and dedication, I can’t help but to feel a bit sad and even discouraged. See the Bible says: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV). And here is a man who did just that… with soccer! Has God not given us a higher goal? If a human being can become so amazingly excellent in chasing and kicking a ball around a field of grass, because he poured out his soul entirely to the pursuit of something that will pass away soon… can we not become excellent in pursuing heavenly realities? Why are we not highly successful in preaching the everlasting gospel? Why are we not outstanding in reaching souls for Christ? Should we not be internationally renowned for being a people baptized in love, compassion and Bible truth?

Wrestling with these questions, I believe I can hear God’s voice clearly speaking to the Seventh-day Adventist Laodicean Church in the story of Elisha’s calling and holy ambition.

Elisha was a successful young business man who revealed excellent leadership qualities. Your vision of earthly success may not be plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, but having been raised in a rudimentary agricultural society for part of my childhood, I can assure you that Elisha was one of the most promising young entrepreneurs in his community.

However, when God revealed to Elisha a higher calling for his life, he left everything behind and was willing to perform even the most humble duties attending to Elijah’s needs (1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 3:11). He entered this spiritual game to win and he would not fail. A few years later, when God was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a chariot of fire, Elisha wouldn’t let go of his teacher and did not rest until he had the assurance that God would grant him his highest ambition.

And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 2 Kings 2:9 NKJV

Elisha was basically affirming two things with his request. First, he was revealing that he had fully embraced the call of God for his life. The famous “double portion” was the inheritance of the firstborn in biblical culture (Deuteronomy 21:17). Part of his request was a recognition that he would inherit the position vacated by one of the greatest prophets this world had ever seen. Elisha was revealing that he saw himself as Elijah’s spiritual firstborn son and that he accepted the great responsibility given to him.

At the same time, the way he presented his request also showed that Elisha knew that he would not be capable of fulfilling such high calling unless he was filled with the Spirit that guided Elijah. He wanted more, even double of that power and presence upon him, and God heard his request. Bible scholars have pointed out repeatedly that, during his ministry, Elisha ended up performing exactly double of the miracles performed by Elijah.

God is calling us to step into a high position in these final days. He wants us to be the people who keeps the commandments of our loving Father because we have placed our faith in Jesus. He desires to see us reaching the world with the three angels messages (Revelation 14:6-12). Are we willing to accept this responsibility? Are we aware that we cannot be that people and fulfill that mission without crying out for His Holy Spirit like never before?

What is your ambition? What do you want in life? What is your greatest dream? Is it merely a worldly pursuit, or is it a holy ambition? Is it being a hero, or seeing your hero face to face? And what exactly are you doing to achieve that ambition? Will you pray with all your heart and dedicate all your energies to achieving spiritual excellency and success? Jesus was speaking to you and me when He said these powerful words:

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13 NKJV

When Ronaldo was fifteen years of age he was diagnosed with tachycardia. His heart could not rest and this was almost the end of his ambition. So he accepted to go into surgery and problematic electrical pathways in his heart were cauterized, allowing him to resume training in only a few days.

Looking down from heaven, Jesus had one holy ambition. His great heart of love could not rest while you were lost. So He accepted the surgery that would give Him a human heart, one that could allow Him to reach His highest ambition. When that heart was broken for your sins upon that cross, He reached His goal. He showed you how much the Father loves you and He became the way for you to come to God. He loved you that much. Saving you is His holy ambition. What is yours?

Written by Daniel Gouveia