The Eighth Deadly Sin

 Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Philippians 2:14‭-‬15 NLT
If you have heard of the term, the Seven Deadly Sins, then you'll know that it refers to behaviours or habits classified as having the potential to result in sin. Pride, greed, gluttony, wrath, sloth, envy and lust make up this list. It's easy to see what dangers these attitudes and behaviours have on our walk with Jesus. Maybe some of us do need to work on the aspect of gluttony during the new year. But today, I'd like to focus on an Eighth Sin. A sin so subtle that it's hard to spot until it becomes a terrible habit.
In today's verse, we're encouraged to do everything without complaining or arguing. This means everything. When was the last time you complained about the person who cut into your lane on the road? When was the last time you grumbled about the weather? Or about the irksome behavior of your family members? Or about your work?
My dear brothers and sisters, we're meant to live differently from the rest of the world. The sin of complaining is easy to indulge in. It takes our eyes off God's goodness. And worse, it's telling God that He doesn't listen or care about the situation you're facing, which is clearly untrue, because God hears and know us all by name (Job 35:9-13, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 139). Now you might not complain by opening your mouth, but I'm sure there are thoughts in your heart stemming from dissatisfaction and discontentment that the Holy Spirit wants to remove.
Let our lives be different from the world. We're called to be lights in the darkness. Don't run and hide in the shadows. It's time to shine for Jesus.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The hard heart matter

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26‭-‬27 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/ezk.36.26-27.NLT Today, as we begin the start of a new week, it's a great opportunity for us to allow God to give His diagnosis on our hearts. What type of heart do you possess? A stony stubborn heart is difficult for anything to grow in. There's no way for a seed to germinate on a stone or rock. Similarly, a stony heart cannot receive the life of the Word of God. When Jesus walked the earth, He was saddened by the hardness of the people's hearts and couldn't do many miracles because of their unbelief (Mark 3:5, Isaiah 6:10). In fact, He encountered this problem on more than one occasion, frequently remarking even about His disciples' heart condition as being d
Read more

What's your mind dwelling on?

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:19‭-‬23 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/lam.3.19-23.NLT This is perhaps the most famous quote in Lamentations 3. We're reminded of God's faithfulness and His love that are new every morning! But there are so many other lessons to be drawn from this beautiful chapter in Scripture, and I've decided to share these lessons in three parts. Today, I'd like for us to focus on verse 21: Yet I still dare hope when I remember this. These words were written during one of the darkest times in the prophet Jeremiah's life. It was a time of unspeakable suffering, where both him and his people had lost everything; their city, families, possessions and most impo
Read more

What's your soul listening to?

I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. https://www.bible.com/bible/116/lam.3.24-26 This post is part 2 of a three part series which seeks to draw out the valuable lessons that we as God's beloved children can gain from Lamentations 3. At the time when these words were written, the prophet Jeremiah and his people witnessed the heartbreaking destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah saw the afflictions that came as a result of God's judgement on his people's sin and wrote down his reflections, which really capture the raw emotion of what he was going through (Lam 3:1). In my previous post, I examined how we can still dare to hope in God's faithfulness even in the midst of dark circumstances. It's choosing to dwell on His unceasing mercies because His love for us is great. However, if you're a worry war
Read more