Heh heh, another loaded question with many answers.
First, some background. I'm re-reading the late David Eddings' superb series "The Belgariad." I'm up to book 4 now, in which our intrepid heroes meet a religious zealot. Relg has a load of spiritual baggage heavier than a fully loaded semi-truck. One of his most consuming preoccupations is his battle against sexual sin. To Relg, everything is sinful, and he spends a great deal of his time beating himself up for it. He seems to feel that looking at a woman with impure thoughts is the "worst" he can do to sin against his God.
It's like that for many Christians, isn't it? What is worse in our Father's sight: having inappropriate ideas about a member of the opposite sex, or ...
...pride?
...resentment?
...racism?
...lack of charity?
...spiritual laziness?
The truth is, we simply don't know. Still, many of us seem to portray the inward idea that sexual error is worse than anything else we can do to grieve the Holy Spirit.
Yes, He wants us to walk in purity. That's a given, and foundational to our faith. But does He not also want us to walk in humility? in peace? in acceptance? in charity? in spiritual industry?
What's worst? Maybe it's time I, for one, got my priorities a little better aligned with His.
2 comments:
I think having inappropriate ideas about someone of the opposite sex that include pride, resentment, racism, lack of charity, and spiritual laziness would be the Motherlode!
okay, okay...I'll behave myself.
:-)
Seriously, though, even Paul separates sexual sins from the rest and speaks directly to them. So that's maybe where we got the idea that they're the "worst."
And, in truth...if you have inappropriate thoughts about a member of the opposite sex...you're actually indulging...
...pride...
(I should be able to think whatever I want about anyone I want, no matter what)...
...resentment...
(why don't I ever get a person like that in MY life? Wow, if I did...)
...even racism, at times...
(Is it true that members of that race know sexual tricks to do that we don't even dream of?)
...lack of charity...
(I just want to ogle you and fantasize about you for what I can get out of the experience...never mind what an invasive thing that may be on your person)...
...and spiritual laziness:
(Can I really get away with this kind of behavior if I'm at the same time trying to be Christ to everyone I meet?...ummm..probably not.)
So there you have it. The sexual sin may not, in itself and isolated, be the worst...but it certainly can take in a lot of other territory. In that sense, maybe it IS a "motherlode"--of all the wrong stuff.
My take,
Janny
Wow--a combination and what a load! But we do tend to hyper-react to the sins that encompass lust, methinks. Your point's well taken.
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