Faulty Fixation
Headlines race by our eyes, bombarding us with today’s events, yesterday’s happenings, and dreams for a better tomorrow. Offering a seemingly infinite storyboard at an ever-increasing speed, our attention spans struggle to keep up. Eventually, the intent of our scrolling becomes unknown — we realize we are actually looking within. Introspection turns to comparison which cocoons and soars away as a distorted self-image.
This is where the buck stops for a majority of popular culture. The self-help doctors of our day have spoken decisively on this issue. The diagnosis: a poor self-image. The quick fix: think more highly of yourself. We are trying to fix paralysis with a Band-Aid.
The virus that is infiltrating our hearts and minds is not in essence a low self-esteem — it is a faulty fixation.
It is not that we think too little of ourselves; rather, we think far too much of ourselves. Timothy Keller says it well,
“A superiority complex and an inferiority complex are basically the same. They are both results of being overinflated. The person with the superiority complex is overinflated and is in danger of being deflated; the person with an inferiority complex is deflated already…To be deflated means you were previously inflated.”
The Great Physician has the last word on this ruling. The diagnosis: jealousy and selfish ambition. The cure: an ultimate desire for Him and His glory above all else.
James, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pens the guidance we need in James 3.
Concerned for the flourishing of his sheep, James often speaks pastorally and practically. He clarifies for his readers that it is of the utmost importance to know whether they stand guilty or justified before a holy God. We may know we are walking in newness of life in Christ Jesus by the works that we do. For “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14–26). Likewise, Christ’s Church ought to be examining herself to see whether her heart and mind are completely in awe of her King.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
Here, James gives us criteria to apply directly to ourselves to determine whether we are walking in wisdom and understanding. Perfect. What does this look like practically? For his Jewish congregants, the words of King Solomon would quickly have come to mind.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For the child of God, this is where all wisdom culminates — our righteous fear of God. On humble knees, let us ask that God would grant us grace to live this out. J.I. Packer says it best,
“The kind of wisdom that God waits to give to those who ask him is a wisdom that will bind us to himself, a wisdom that will find expression in a spirit of faith and a life of faithfulness.”
Ultimately, our jealousy and selfish ambition act as dividers between those fearing God and those fearing man.
Transitioning his argument, James now begins to speak a word of caution to followers of Christ. False wisdom, grounded in jealousy, has deadly consequences.
15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James does not leave any room for misrepresentation of his words here. Earthly. Unspiritual. Demonic. These words cannot possibly be taken lightly. By these, James clarifies that this selfishness that is taking root in our hearts wreaks havoc on our relationships with God by causing our lives to characterize the exact opposite of God’s nature.
James continues. The consequences of jealousy and selfish ambition are not only personal but corporate as well. Where they exist, disorder and every vile practice will be found.
What does James mean here by disorder? I tend to think he is speaking of the very consequences of jealousy that we spoke of earlier. Our selfish view of those around us results in us seeking to place ourselves above others in a pursuit of self-justification.
Within the deceptive trap of a fear of man, we find the destruction of our communion with God and one another.
The world sees right through our facade of self-righteousness. They have experienced themselves. Listen to perhaps one of the most successful music artists of all time, Madonna.
“I push past one spell of fearing mediocrity and discover myself as a special human being but then I feel I am still mediocre and uninteresting unless I do something else. Because even though I have become somebody, I still have to prove that I am somebody. My struggle has never ended, and I guess it never will.”
As the children of God we can and must provide an alternative hope to the world.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
By the way we love our God and one another, the world ought to see our gaze fixed upon the glory of God, jealous for Christ.
There is the rub: jealousy of versus jealousy for. Jealousy for the glory of God is not concerned with trying to please the expectations of self or others but instead is fueled by love.
The same thing can be said of a bride’s jealousy for her husband. Being jealous for (not of) him, shows her commitment to him, protects their marriage from evil attacks, deepens their openness with one another, and helps confront threats to their communion with one another before tragedy strikes.
Just over three months ago, my bride was escorted to the altar, where I awaited her. We had dreamed of that moment for almost two years. However, as Canon in D rang in our ears, our eyes were fixed on one another. As time stood still, I desired nothing from her or of her. I was jealous for her.
Righteous jealousy for God places us within an even greater, cosmic reality.
This is the very heart of the Gospel — the eternal Son of God has paid our sin debt and imputed his righteousness to us. We stand before God the Father justified — as pure as the Lamb of God. By His blood, the bride of Christ has been clothed “with fine linen, bright and pure” (Revelation 19).
Yet, we await the consummation of this wedding when Christ returns and unites himself to his bride forever. It is upon this God that we set our gaze, this coming reality that we fix our hope, and through this Savior we find our greatest joy.
The glory of God in Christ Jesus redeems our faulty fixation by placing it upon the only One who can truly satisfy.
