The Seven Deadly…

Everybody falls. The self-gratifying, self-seething, immoral nature of human beings makes it impossible to not succumb to these without the precious grace of God. These seemingly harmless traits are habit-forming. Hence, one would need an honest introspection to detect, accept and rectify. Righteous people also succumb to these deadly iniquities ever-so-often. Allow me to elaborate.

Pride : I believe it is an imprudently over-exalted and distorted belief in one’s own abilities, that smugly discounts man’s dependence on God. Pride is the disparity between perceived accomplishments and divine providence. It is the sin that wickedly creeped into the mind of Lucifer, while he led the mutiny to their fall from grace. Pride is said to be the root of all evil. “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” – James 4:6. So, if you seek divine favour, unfasten the garb of arrogance and chasten yourself before your creator. Simply put, the weak fall for gold; some others for girls. But even the virtuous fall for glory. {the three Gs; one of my next posts}

Envy : is the inordinate desire for others’ possessions, success, status, abilities, attributes, relationships etc. Human beings are conditioned to be competitive. Friends mean well and cheer you as you succeed. As long as you are perceived to be below their level, there will be sunshine. But the moment you begin to do better than them, predicaments arise. It is good to be ambitious and desire growth. But, it is my opinion that we must compete with ourselves alone. If and when we step up, we must simply pat ourselves without comparing ourselves to any other. Spend few moments to cherish those achievements instead of coveting what was never intended to be ours. If we comprehend the universe accommodates us as an integrated pattern, the desire to help others achieve their function must rightfully overtake the need to supersede them. This is only possible once we realize our true worth. I believe our true merit lies in our contribution to this integrated system. Insecurity forges envy. Once you are at peace in the bosom of God, even in the midst of your storms, you will have the grace to wish them all well.

Gluttony: Eat to live; do not live to eat! Everybody has a preference of the platter. But, a preference does not need satiety always. Being rigid about food choices and habits is disgraceful. Respect food; never waste it. There are many who do not get any. As long as it is nutritious and served by a kind heart, accept it gracefully. Bless the hands that prepared them, the people who toiled hard to provide for you, and thank God for ensuring you are fed. I can change my clothes according to my whims and fancies. But, I get just one body. This is the body I was born in; this is the body I will die in. I keep telling myself this – my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is my duty to take care of it. Frequent over-indulgence is a sign of weakness of the flesh. Do not succumb.

Lust is an inordinate craving for sexual pleasures. It has led to the fall of many. Yes, God created us as sexual beings. But He gave us intellect and self-control. Sex within a marriage is blessed. It is sacred. It is a God-given form of expressing love and developing an exclusive relationship with your spouse. It is not meant for merely objectifying bodies. It was created to cement an exclusive and intimate bond between the two pillars of a family. Sadly, today just about everything is overloaded with sex, convincing everyone that sex is all about momentary self gratification. Once you enter this arena, the desires of the flesh will begin to control you until it becomes an addiction. Sins of the flesh are always addictive in nature. It is best to stay away lest you find yourself fighting carnal desires stronger than your integrity.

Anger is healthy when it is momentary and a healthy outlet to channel that anger is utilized. But when anger manifests itself in destructive forms and revenge, or even in excess, it is very dangerous. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ – Romans 12:19 .Patience is the virtue that purges anger by attempting to understand the needs and desires of others before acting or speaking. Time….take time to reply; take time to react. Before pouring resentment and opening the gates of hell through curses, speak blessings instead. An angry heart is a miserable heart. Many times, anger stems from our own insecurities when we project our own failures and shortcomings on others. Be wary and do not let anger consume you. The raging fire spreads quickly. I count. It helps a great deal. When provoked, I speak the name of Jesus in my mind several times. Many times it manages to calm me and I am able to sustain / contain a situation that could have exploded into the realms of irredeemable horror.

Greed is an insatiable desire for excess. It could be pertaining to material wealth or gain, blatantly ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It can lead to covetousness and jealousy. Passion and drive are always a great stimulant that manifests an individual’s true potential. But when satiety is unattainable, when every significant accomplishment refuses to bring cheer, it can no longer be perceived as drive. It becomes greed; greed brings no happiness, ever. When you realize, you are being controlled by greed, try being charitable instead. It is by far the most difficult thing to put another over oneself in priority. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -Matthew 6:19-21

Sloth is the failure to utilize ones talents, within the framework of circumstances of course. Willingly do whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. – Colossians 3:23. You are probably performing innumerable difficult and significant tasks in a day that deserve to be classified under the superman category. But, if you haven’t done it with fervour/acceptance and a willing heart, it loses more than half of its value. So next time, you’re grumbling whilst performing any duty, turn that frown upside down, and eventually God will put on you – a crown. Remember, you’re not doing it for your ungrateful/undeserving friends/family/the colleague who intends stealing credit; you’re doing it because you’re accountable to God. And He certainly is watching. If you could add some love into your labour, the value increases manifold. It is better to be over-burdened with productive engagements, than to let the mind wander. They say, ‘an empty mind is the devil’s workshop.’

I am no stranger to the effects of these vices on the brain and neurotransmitters/hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline etc. I respect science and the human anatomy. I think it’s a marvellous reflection of God’s creativity. I am not a registered practitioner; but it is just my personal belief that many psychosomatic imbalances can be aligned by harmonizing oneself with all relationships. The peace of God which surpasses all knowledge and boundaries is the most crucial of these relationships. In fact, if you are not in sync with God, every other relationship becomes a burden to maintain. If you have the peace of God, you will not need to spike dopamine, oxytocin or adrenaline from excess food, alcohol, sex, drugs, etc. No psychoactive drug, sexual encounter, satisfying meal, chocolate, caffeine, workout, recognition, monetary gain will ever come close to the joy of knowing your true purpose and belonging.

Unforgiveness and Despair :

I would like to add two more to this list of evils. I sincerely believe forgiveness is the key to many blessings. It opens closed doors and showers of blessings galore. Harnessing negative feelings of rebuke, resentment and vengeance does no man any good. It only burdens both soul and heart. Once you make a conscious decision to forgive, you will not only feel lighter, but heaven will show you mercy still. Should you choose to walk tethered to a leash instead, burdened and wallowed, all other evils appear.

Despair is another. If you only knew how much God loves you and how precious you are to Him, you would never revel in despair too long. Hope, Faith and Love are the three theological virtues. If you succumb to despair, it is beacuse you have turned away so far from God that you don’t even trust in His mercy/love anymore. If you persevere in faith, He is always faithful and keeps every promise. Everything is forgivable. Nothing cannot be re-written. He is the author of life itself. Nothing is too difficult for Him. So give your God a compliment when you find yourself drowning, just smile at Him in faith. He will definitely smile back and somehow you’ll see, you survived …and thrived.

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers” -Proverbs 6:16-19