Seven Deadly Sins

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  

1 John 1:8-9

My bible study group went out on a limb and decided to read What Your Counselor Never Told You by Dr. William Backus at the beginning of the year.  We finished up the book recently and it was very eye opening.  We were a  group that did the "fill in the blank" bible studies on a certain book or topic.  This book took us a little out of our comfort zone and made us discuss the questions at the end of each chapter and look deeper than just the correct answer.

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Dr. Backus works through the 7 deadly sins to show how they can have a power in your life.  Through his graduate study in Psychology he prepared a "Sin Test".  The test can show a relationship between sin and psychological disorders.  But, you don't necessarily have to suffer from a psychological disorder to gain valuable information about yourself from the sin test.  

Dr Backus says "We're all sinners, and there is a good chance that some of our life problems are entwined with the issue of sin."  

Pride, Envy, Anger, Greed, 

Sloth, Lust, Gluttony

The Seven Deadly Sins.  Before we began actually reading about each sin, we read a definition and then ranked the sins on a scale of 1 to 7.  Which sins caused us the most trouble or were most prominent in our lives?  I easily found my top 3.  After reading the first two chapter I was very certain that envy was what I suffered with the most.  It was under my skin.  

"Envy," wrote John of Damascus, "is sorrow in the face of your neighbor's good."  Now, envy is not jealousy.  They are not synonyms for each other.  Envy is defined as a desire for someone else's attributes or possessions.  Jealousy is a desire to keep your own stuff.  Jealousy is not always bad.  Dr. Backas reminds us that God is jealous, but not envious.  

For example (and this is the best example that I feel comfortable sharing) I'm envious of people who own mini vans.  Does that sound crazy to anyone?  I am not kidding.  I drive a wonderful car.  It was a gift.  If that car wouldn't have been gifted to me, my hubby and I would either be in financial trouble trying to pay off two cars or we would still be a one car family.  I am blessed by that silly car.  And it is big and it doesn't have many miles, and it is safe for my family but it is tight with two car seats and a trunk full of a stroller. (Although I can probably fit more in that trunk that someone in a small SUV!)  BUT, in all of that, I can look at someone driving a mini van and be envious.  Even someone who is driving a rusted van, with twice as many miles as my car, a van that is not reliable and think "oh how nice to be able to take that back seat out and shove all of my stuff back there".  It would be nice to not have to wrangle groceries into the trunk or worry that I won't be able to fit our suitcases in for vacation or kick myself for bringing the stroller to town and not having enough space for a larger item we needed.  

Now, luckily, these moments are fleeting.  I pat my dashboard, send love up to my Grandma for all she blessed me with and move on.  

In these fleeting moments I was already doing what Dr. Backas says are the principals for success against sin.  I check my internal speech.  I don't allow the envy to spread and to have a loud voice.  I end each little envy party reminding myself I am blessed and thankful for what I have.  I can say that I honestly believe what I say too.  I am blessed and thankful.  In those fleeting envious moments, I choose incompatible behavior.  I can't love a neighbor if I'm envious.  I can't be envious and thankful at the same time.  I choose thankfulness, blessedness, generosity, and love so that envy is not allowed to take root in my heart.  I also have a zealous determination too root out the envy.  I have seen it take a hold of me and start to live my life for me.  It sucks me dry and I am determined not to let that happen.  All of the other sins provide some kind of pleasure.  Dr. Backas says though "of all the vices, only envy never promises or delivers anything but bitterness and misery."  I don't have time for that in my life!  It is a daily thing I work on.  It's not just mini vans and I can say with assurance, I am better than I was before!

The rest of the book was very good.  I just couldn't get over how much the envy chapter spoke to me.  I probably could have stopped with that and the chapters on Pride and Anger and have been taught some valuable lessons.  When I ranked my sins myself- pride was #2 and anger was way down at #6.  When I took the sin test, I was surprised to see anger as #2 and pride as #3.  Pride is the root of all of these sins and so it was in the right place at the top of my list, but anger?  Really?  I didn't think I was angry.  My husband and I talked and I am not angry, but I do show anger and am glad to be aware of that.  

Thankfully, God isn't done with me yet and I can work on these things.  This is one of my top books now.  I can see myself reading it again in a year (or two) and retaking the test to see how I do.  

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.  Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-3