Having a hidden agenda doesn't do anything to further God's Kingdom. In fact having a hidden agenda draws you away from the Lord in your spiritual journey. Having ulterior motives leads to lies and deceit which is a sin in its self. Sometimes we do not even realize that we are acting with an agenda. But when we catch ourselves in self-created lies, we should come clean.
Psalm 101:7 NASB He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
Having served in different capacities in leadership positions, I have seen my fair share of deceit. Sometimes well thought out words can be used to mislead others. Other times ignorance and inexperience play a role as well. One of the Devils strongest tools is deceit. Just like the sneaky snake in the Bible, the devil uses the same tactics to infiltrate all aspects of our life. Adam and Eve fell for the lies, and we do as well.
We need to guard against falling into Satan's trap. The truth is once you start lying, it is hard to cover up your lies. One lie leads to another, and before you know it, you can't keep your story straight. I believe that God uses our lies to expose us for who we are.
Why your hidden agenda doesn't benefit you as you think.
Inevitably, your true colors will show. When you try to lie your way to the top and promote your agenda, eventually people will see through that. Honesty always pays off no matter how difficult the situation is. When you do what you are supposed to and try to be Christ-like in the process, your truth will set you free. See, when you embed yourself in situations that are sub par, you chain yourself to the situation that you created.
From my experience, it is pretty easy to weed out people that are self-conceited and self-righteous. Not to judge the other person, but bear witness to their actions. It is our duty as followers of Christ to hold our fellow brothers and sisters accountable for their actions. I will leave you with this passage from Matthew.
Matthew 18:15-17 NASB “If your brother sins go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.