Quoting Wikipedia, below is a passage from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I first heard the story in amazement when reading the book The Reason for God, by Tim Keller.
First, before you read the quote, here a basic backstory.
Dr. Jekyll makes a potion to separate his bad side from the good. But he doesn’t realize how much evil his bad side, Mr. Hyde inflicts. Now Dr. Jekyll decides to stop taking the potion and starts doing acts of good to make amends for all the evil done…
Now the quote:
One day, at a park, he considered how good a person that he had become as a result of his deeds (in comparison to others), believing himself redeemed. However, before he completed his line of thought, he looked down at his hands and realized that he had suddenly once again into Hyde. This was the first time that an involuntary metamorphosis had happened in waking hours.
In Tim Keller’s book, he contrasts Christianity from most any religion in how Christianity is not about trying to become moral and good people. We don’t get into heaven or have fellowship with God from working on our behavior.
Tim describes that even if someone succeeded in their attempt to do no wrong or fill their lives with acts of good they would eventually grow in pride and self righteousness.
It’s almost a guaranteed result from the pursuit to become morally elite.
You can be equally lost doing evil for self or doing good for self; works to try and rid yourself of guilt, shame or bad behavior.
The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story was an illustration used to show: (1) everybody has within them both good and evil. (2) If you were to magically remove all known evil and bad behavior, and spent your time and energy doing good to out do all the wrong you’ve ever done, pride would develop and make you as foul and hypocritical as the worst sinner.
It’s funny, I thought that I was free from self-righteousness. But I now see it’s kind of a temptation or consequence from success.
Here’s my recent scenario –
I’ve been running consistently for almost a year now. I’m in the best shape of my life and pretty close to my high school weight.
For some reason, I now find myself tempted to judge others people I see for their diet choices. Especially if the look like they need to be more disciplined.
I know it’s not good. I just being honest to make point…
I never would have imagined I’d even care what other people ate. But since it’s currently an area of strength and success — pride is developing.
Tim Keller gives a very good solution for this.
In short, he says the way out is to be centered on God and to be others focused.
When we are focused on ourselves and doing any kind of act, we’re either driven by selfishness, lasciviousness or pride; then upon reflection — we’ll feel guilt or shame. Still stuck on self.
But we should really pay no attention to ourselves no matter what we do.
I like how Paul puts it in 1 Cor. 4:3-4 —- here’s my very very rough paraphrase or restatement:
“I don’t worry about what anyone thinks of me — even myself!! I do not judge myself at all -and thus- I have a clean and clear conscious. Only God’s judgement matters, which I’ll know when I see him.”