My wife and I have had TSA pre-check for many years. As I was telling a friend about the convenience of shorter and faster moving lines at the airport, I made a confession. I admitted that there’s something in me that likes it when the regular line is extra-long. The amount of time it takes me to negotiate the checkpoint is unaffected by the length of someone else’s line, but there is something satisfying about walking past a mass of people as I go straight to the front. I don’t look sideways at anyone or smile coyly. I show no outward signs of arrogance, but inside my ego is fed.
The same phenomenon happens when driving in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on the freeway while traffic is backed up. Traveling 45 mph on a road with a 65-mph speed limit seems so much better when you’re passing other people. Why is that? I didn’t do anything wrong when I walked past people at the airport, nor did I violate any laws when I was legitimately using the HOV lane to travel faster than other drivers. The problem isn’t an outward breaking of rules, but a potential inward violation of God’s law when I take pleasure in getting ahead of others. It’s in these moments that I find myself repeating the words of Paul in Romans 7.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. 7:21–24)
In either scenario I don’t know the people I pass and it’s unlikely I’ll ever see them again, yet my heart wants to sinfully enjoy my momentary position of advantage. These are moments that can easily move from temptation to sin. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (Jas. 1:14-15).
There is a small window of time in which to capture those impulses to prevent them from birthing sin, but recognition of the temptation is not enough. According to 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 we have to do them violence. “Take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience….” They’re like a wasp flying around your head. Recognizing that it buzzed next to your ear is only the first step in keeping from getting stung. You have to take quick measures to capture and destroy it! What’s more, Jesus told a parable about allowing those thoughts to whiz about unrestrained.
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. (Lk. 18:9–11)
The parable ends with Jesus declaring, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” The one Jesus condemned for exalting himself was guilty of a sin of the mind and heart. Scripture not only prohibits you from the actions of choosing a more prominent seat for yourself or treating wealthy people with greater honor, but it also forbids thoughts of superiority. Without a single outward sign of condemnation one can scorn another.
What are the situations in which you are tempted to entertain unfounded criticism of others? Do appearances, economic status or political party affiliation sinfully bias you against another? When they take flight, capture and crush those thought wasps before you get stung.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves (Phil. 2:3)