Abandoning our Goals

In the overarching theme of keeping commitments, the most relateable analogy I can think of is the one lie most people have made in regards to their fitness plans made on New Year's. Every now and then I will renew my vow, that this will be the year my six pack will reveal itself to the world; I have yet to see those puppies. But the problem of words speaking louder than actions extends far beyond the scope of daily gym attendance. Quitting bad habits like smoking cigarettes or starting new ones like regular studying suffer from our habitual self deceptions as well. At the root of long term commitments of stopping or starting anything are the individual choices we make on a daily basis that ultimately determine if we are taking steps forward or backwards.

God: A Sacrifice for Love

Gandalf, great wizard or servant of God? For those of you not aware of this meme, the scene is taken from The Lord of the Rings when a group of the main protagonists are being chased by a demon-of-sorts at a bridge. In order to protect 'The Fellowship' this character, Gandalf the Grey, sacrifices his life by breaking the bridge so that he and the demon cannot pass while the other characters run safe and free. The point I would like to illustrate is that Jesus Christ was like Gandalf. He died on the cross to save us from the demon, which is sin so that we may be saved.

I've been feeling pretty encouraged lately and thought I would start a new kind of post that future me can use when the times get tough and I am not seeing so clearly. I'll try to categorize them all as the seven deadly sins for now for organization's sake and make sub-categories as I go. 

Wrath/Pride: Feeling Offended

Stop being so sensitive and taking offense to critics. You are probably feeling threatened because you might be wrong. Take a step back and analyze what kind of shit is being thrown at you whether it is bullshit or good shit. While the other person may be completely wrong about you, it is only because of a misunderstanding and at the very least the criticism shows they care enough to let you know what they think. 

Sloth: Feeling lazy

Get off your ass you entitled, spoiled little brat. People out there don't have the luxury to enjoy free time because they are busy working minute by minute, tooth and nail to scrap up enough cash to afford a few grains of rice so they don't die of starvation. Find something to do, whether its picking up a book, helping a friend, making money, or exercising, use your time wisely.  

Lust

Lust is a feeling of intense desire in the body. Most of the times we mean physical lust but the lust for wealth, knowledge, intimacy, power, and everything else is just as dangerous. There will be times you will be overcome with intense emotions but remember that discipline is the pillar that will keep your emotions in balance. Keep a safety net by creating emotional and logical triggers in your brain that go off in certain situation that you know may initiate an over the top emotional response. Know when to avoid the situation or when you are disciplined enough to be in control. Don't let your emotions govern your actions. If the hulk can do it so can you.  

Sometimes Sorry is not Enough

Repent for your sins. That is what I grew up hearing my entire childhood into adolescence. But sin was a far off concept that meant cheating on a vocabulary test or lying about my grades. Understanding what sin meant was hard enough, but repenting for an idea I really knew nothing about was even harder. On the nights I remembered I muttered a quick sorry to the man in the sky right before I fell asleep. It was convenient. I congratulated myself for having remembered to feel sorry about cheating and slept better knowing no matter what I did that all would be forgiven. When I finally understood what sin was it made me feel disgusting and asking for forgiveness was the only way to feel clean.