17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
It's the first of january and as I said before I have set a goal for myself to read the kebra negast and the holy bible in the coming 2 years. I am still looking for a good guide to help me read both of them. So if anybody has suggestions/links or scedules please share! Untill I have found a good guide I will just open up both books and allow GOD to guide me through them.
As I was waking up today, stretching and getting ready for prayer a thought about the 7 deadly sins came to mind. A few years ago dh MADE ME LOL watch a movie called the 7 deadly sins with him. Just thinking about it still gives me the creeps. As in most movies, things were majorly exagerated. As I allowed my thoughts to drift away I wondered where those 7 deadly sins came from (ofcourse I knew that it's origin lies in the bible but the exact verse was unknown to me).
I found out that the 7 deadly sins are derived directly from Proverbs 6:16-19. The church later decided to adapt them to teach moral lessons to his followers.
These are the original 7 capital vices:
Luxuria (extravagance, later lust)
Gula (gluttony)
Avaritia (greed)
Acedia (sloth)
Ira (wrath)
Invidia (envy)
Superbia (pride)
I would like you to take a minute well maybe an hour and write down all of those vices wich you have commited. When you are finished writing them read them aloud to yourself. I ask you to open up your heart and allow this knowledge of self to soften your judgemental spirit and focus on your own sins rather than the sins of others!
Now I know that a lot of people actually think they are not committing any vices and live according to the word of the Lord always. That thought alone to me is one of the greatest sins!
Let's take a look at "modern day sinning", hey let's use me as an example.
I will walk through all the vices and admit where I went wrong. Admittence is the first step to recovery, right? So here I go!
Luxuria (extravagance, later lust) Oh how I used to love jewelry, beautiful expensive clothes and everything that sparkles LOL now I say used to caus I have worn jewelry about 6x in the last year and I don't even wear a ring on my finger. I still love beautiful clothes but have made peace with homemade or less expensive clothing. In the last years I have walked away from the idea that my home needs to be redecorated every year and I have even let go of the idea that all things need to be brand spanking new.
Now please do not get me wrong I am not pointing fingers at anyone I am not saying all remove wedding bands caus it is a sign of luxuria ( I stopped wearing jewelry for totally different reasons: Do you have any idea how horrible the feel when nurses are pulling and fighting to get jewelry off of you when you are being prepped for an emergency operation?!) I am simply asking you to check yourself! Do you get a feeling of appreciation when your dh or so slips you diamonds or pearls? Do you get depressed or sad when you cannot afford a new ........ (fill in blanks shoes/purse/dress)?
I used to and I have to admit I sometimes still get a stingy feeling when I set aside money for new shoes and a dentistbill or something is so urgent the money is better spend of that. I am fighting the feeling though.
As for lust well I think eventhough I am raised in a Roman Catholic family, sex and all that comes with it, was never seen as sinfull but as a divine (could it be the indian blood that is running threw our vains?). No one as far as I can remember ever stressed marriage or abstanence to us as teens or young adults. All that was asked of us was to think for oneself never to allow others to missuse us and visa versa, to always simply always treat your body like a temple. I am grateful for the upbringing I have had, I see no sins in making love to the one GOD has chosen for you to spend the rest of your life with. There are a few things I do think of as sinful when it comes to sex the first is adultery and the second is confronting children with sexual images. I live in a country where sex is advertised at all hours of the day! Commercials full of sexual contents like a perfume or deoderant wich makes people lust after one another or burger commercials with someone clearly committing adultery trying to cover a burger instead of the "other woman". I can go on and on and I am sure so can you. I try and protect my young ones their eyes by carefully choosing the channels they are allowed to watch, by simply asking them to zap when a commercial that is not suitable for the eyes of children (or anyone for that matter) comes along and when the eldest wants to watch a countdown or whatever on mtv or any other music channel dh always watches with him if it is innapropriate it will be turned off no excuses!
Gula (gluttony) Euhm what can I say about it! I am fighting this daily! let's take a closer look at gluttony. One might think that gluttony is simply overeating but it is far more complexed than that.
Gluttony can be divided in:
Praepropere - eating too soon
Laute - eating too expensively
Nimis - eating too much
Ardenter - eating too eagerly
Studiose - eating too daintily Avaritia (greed)
Take a closer look at yourself and be honest to thy ownself! Does one or more of these explanations remind you of yourself? I know that they remind me of me and eventhough I fast once a week and vulanteer and the "foodbank" it does not excuse my mistakes.
Acedia (sloth) I can keep it short and simple all women/mothers/homemakers I know have failed in this one. Come on admit it if only to yourself how often do you tend to go behind the computer, crawl on the couch with a book or turn around in the morning for just 15 min more of sleep, instead of tending to the home? When you know that the appereance of your home is far from GODLY? I intend to use my control journal to keep my home in great order this year. Whenever I tend to slack off I will remind myself: "Cleanliness is next to godliness"
Ira (wrath) I have been known to have a tongue to be scared off. I remember when my brother came to introduce his then girlfriend to the family he pulled me aside and said:"be gentle with her!" I am not mean spirited and as far as I can remember and tell I have never ever said anything to anybody out of malice nor have I ever said anything that wasn't the truth. The fact remains that even if it wasn't meant maliscious or that it was the truth does not mean that it wasn't hurtful to the person on the recieving end! Despite my tongue my siblings and cousins still tend to come to me first for advice, and some refer to me jokingly as their priest as they tell me all their mishaps. I am happy to say that I am learning to stop myself by repeating proverbs 31:26 "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue" in my head before saying anything that could be interpreted as malicious.
Another example of wrath in my life is when mean mommy walks in the door! Read Hadias her blog and letter to mean mommy than you will understand what I mean.
Invidia (envy) I am not by nature an envious person I tend to be just as happy or happier LOL for my loved ones when they make promotions, get pregnant, give birth or any other joyous occasions in their lives. I tend to cry when I see people doing something good for another on tv and I have no need or intention to keep up with the Joneses. Still I am envious in my times of deepest despair. I am ill and from time to time I cry all day thinking about how unfair it is that I am sick and my siblings aren't, that my kids might have to do without me sooner than other kids, that I cannot tend to dh his phisical needs when I am in pain. After an episode of envy comes shame and regret caus I can assure you I am blessed! Blessed with siblings and cousins that take care of my family financially or any other way like it is their own. I have women in my family that are not only willing and able to take care of my sons if anything would happen to me they would see it as a privilage! I have a dh that has never ever in our life together felt deprived of anything.
Superbia (pride) Ah at last pride I come from a tribe of proud women! Women that don't need a man to take care of them. Women that can do all things themselves. Women that don't take no Sh*T from anyone. Hey I can honestly say that I was raised to be proud! LOL Oh how my poor poor dh suffered from my pride! I worked for 60 hours a week when we met and paid for everything myself and refused to even take a gift from him caus as I reminded him I make far more money than you (he was still studying at that time) Sometimes I think that I am ill because I needed to learn a lesson! A lesson in humility! I have no choice but to except others their help and care when I am sick and it has taught me that recieving gracefully is just as important as giving!
John 8:7 "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
Romans 2:1"Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."
Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged."
