But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. – James 3:14-15
Most of the time, it is much easier to see someone else’s sin before recognizing the sin in our own hearts. We know our motivation, and we justify our actions, even for the clearly wrong things we do. This tendency is not unique to our generation but has been a problem as long as sin has been in the world. James’s reminder of wisdom was paired with a heart check. We need to check our motivation and search for any arrogance that may blind us from our own jealousy and selfish ambition.
The Pharisees are a common biblical example of this. They had all the “right” answers based on God’s Word, but their hearts were off, and they were blind to their own sin, so they missed out on the redemption God was truly after. In a world where it is easy to amplify our voices through a video or a social media post, we need this extra reminder to check our hearts with honesty before the Lord. When our hearts are off, we won’t point people to Christ, but to earthly answers that will never truly satisfy.
- What are some ways we might speak without recognizing the selfish ambition in our hearts? What often results from that?
- What is the state of your heart right now? When have you last considered any sin lingering in your life?
- Confess your sin to God and ask Him to reveal any other areas of sin you have overlooked.
