James 3:14—Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. James 3:14

But if…

The word “but” is a connecting word. It connects this question, “Who among you is wise and understanding?” (James 3:13a) to “if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart…” However, the word “but” signals something else as well—namely, if one is true, then the other can’t be.

So, if you think you are wise and understanding, yet you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, you’re neither wise nor understanding, no matter how you look at it.

… you have bitter jealousy…

Jealousy, according to dictionary.com, is “resentment against a rival” or “a person enjoying success or advantage, etc.” Do you have a rival who galls you? Does someone enjoy the success or advantage that has evaded your grasp—and it bugs you every time you think about it? If it bothers you to the point of antagonism or hostility; if that person’s success makes you angry enough to fume about how hard you have it in comparison, then you are dealing with bitter jealousy.

…and selfish ambition in your heart…

If you have ambition, that means you possess “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment” (dictionary.com). God Himself can place an ambition in your heart; therefore, don’t assume that all ambition is bad. However, if in your desire to achieve your goal you are jealously protective about your “brand”, and you eye anyone who serves in a similar manner with suspicion, calling into question their motives or authenticity—even undermining their good name—then your ambition is a selfish one, even if what you’re pursuing is Christian or wholesome.

May I clue you in on something? Many of us have experienced the hideous grip of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, including me. Remember, James is not condemning these brothers and sisters; he is instructing them. He is giving them an invaluable tool by which to discern their hearts. He is handing them a weapon of warfare, divinely powerful, to tear down the strongholds (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. If Christians aren’t instructed in the identification and destruction of these tendencies in their own hearts, they are destined to fall into these mindsets again and again, and will never grow to be fully fruitful. Knowing that you need to be aware of this type of soulish motivation is half the battle. And if you discover that you have been jealous or selfishly ambitious, there is help for you in God. Talk to Him about it. He won’t turn His back on any of your heartfelt cries for help—despite how non-RC (religiously correct) your admission may be in the eyes of others.

…do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

God is not shocked by your confession of error or wrong motives. Indeed, for you to confess the existence of bitter jealousy or selfish ambition—if you discover that you’ve fallen into it—is exactly what ministers to the heart of God. I know that this is a startling statement, but God longs for you to be honest—both with yourself and with Him. A key requirement for the healing of both a nation and an individual is to confess sin and to repent (see 2 Chronicles 7:14 and James 5:16).

That said, sometimes Christians find it more convenient and less traumatic to avoid dealing with the unrenewed tendencies of the soul. They may even think that it’s foolish to focus on the negative; why? I live by grace; I’m forgiven and it’s all under the Blood. God knows my heart!

The only problem with that attitude is the fact that if bitter jealousy and selfish ambition do exist in your heart (James makes it clear that this can happen with believers), and you refuse to deal with it, this avoidance will send your life into a dangerous downward spiral. When folks who need to confess this sin follow through with it before God, they are well on their way to walking in true wisdom and understanding. However, if someone needs to admit it to the Lord but refuses, he is only fooling himself. James said this about “deniers”: They are arrogant and lie against the truth.

James stressed the importance of self-honesty. He did not condemn those who struggled with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, but he did shine a light on it so that they would be able to deal with this huge wisdom-disruptor in their lives.

His harshest words were reserved not for those who wrestled with these tendencies, but for those who were driven by jealousy and selfish ambition and refused to acknowledge it or deal with it. It is far better to admit guilt and repent when necessary than to shrug off conviction from God, insisting on your own purity—i.e., arrogance—and denying your own guilt—i.e., lying against the truth.

Thank God for His grace that enables us to be honest with both ourselves and with Him—closing the door on arrogance and self-deception and opening it wide to true wisdom and understanding.

Dorothy