Seven Deadly Sins Series – Sloth

Diligence

I am tired because I am so busy. Lately I have a hard time focusing. I struggle to do much more then watch TV or play video games. I find pleasure in them because they take my mind off of all the work I have to do. I am so exhausted I can barely get up by 6:00. I normally would wake by 5:00.

It is because I work so hard. Eight-hour days. I go to the gym, to church, I teach Sunday school and youth group. Not to mention the special events and other random things that occur in my schedule. I deserve to have fun and rest.

How many of sound like this. We are worn down and out. So many things to do. However, entertainment can be addicting and a thief. Most of the media we consume is not constructive. Additionally, by trying to multitask by watching tv and working on something we are not nearly as productive as we could be.

Human nature is to seek out the path of least resistance. We are blessed with intelligence so we can design easier ways to travel, work, eat and relax. Think of how difficult it used to be to travel 100 miles. Now you can drive, fly or take a train.

With the invention of tv and the internet we now have unlimited distractions. It is so easy to pick up your smart phone in order to message someone only to fall down the rabbit hole of social media, shopping and next thing you know you are watching a YouTube video and what was supposed to be a 1-minute message has turned in to 15 minutes of randomness.

Most of us spend the entire day sitting in a chair in front of a computer only to come home worn out and ready to sit on the sofa in front of two more screens. All this sedentariness leads to a ton of health problems and an unfulfilled life.

Heavenly Virtue – Diligence

The solution to being slothful is diligence. Being careful and persistent in what we do provides the best results for our career, family and life. If we are focused and intentional we can do so much. If you think of the billionaire entrepreneurs, the individuals we see as self-made, you find that most to all of them a diligence when it comes to their mission and work.

               “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3:23

God is a good master. He wants us to succeed in life by following his example. Jesus worked hard and so should we. That does not mean that there is not time for laughter and relaxation, Jesus also slept, but in whatever we do we should make sure we are striving towards a purpose and not merely wasting time.

Instead of watching things for fun, we can focus on things that build us up and sharpen our skills. Better yet, we should focus on things that build us spiritually or prepare us to teach others about God. Try reading or listening to a book that has good lessons such as the Bible or books written by C.S. Lewis or Lee Strobel.

Remember our rest is in God. We will have an eternity of peace with him. Our work should be to build his kingdom and we only have a short time on earth to do that.

               “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4

 

Written by: Dustin Freshour

Seven Deadly Sins – Introduction

While not in the bible the seven deadly sins are well known. They were originated early in the development of the Church. They were noted as the main roots of sin in life. Really, they are a simplification of sin. Sin is any action against God and his will.
Anytime we are committing acts that offend God we are sinning. The core reason for our sin is putting our self before God. The seven deadly sins are 7 ways we put ourselves before God.
The seven deadly sins are:
1. Sloth
2. Greed
3. Lust
4. Envy
5. Gluttony
6. Wrath
7. Pride
There are also seven heavenly virtues developed to oppose these sins. The virtues are habits that we Christians can focus on to avoid the main roots of sin. The seven heavenly virtues are:
1. Diligence
2. Charity
3. Chastity
4. Kindness
5. Temperance
6. Patience
7. Humility
We will take time over the next few weeks to look into each of these in depth.

By: Dustin Freshour

Return to form

We have not posted in a while. I wish I could say it is was because we were unusually busy. However, we have not been any busier than usual. We simply have not made the time to write a blog.

Not that we have been sitting around doing nothing, but we should always make time to post consistently. Our mission is to spread the knowledge and love of God through our blog. If we do not take time to post we are failing at our mission.

A little peak behind the curtain my wife, Cassandra, and I both have full time jobs. Cassandra also has a photography business. We teach Sunday school and lead youth. We attend Wednesday bible studies. I am also member of choir, the trustees and the finance secretary. In addition, we try to go to the gym every day.

Of course, we have all the typical house hold chores to keep up with. Still we need to make time for this mission. Our Lord has tasked us with spreading his message to the end of the earth. Why, because everyone needs to be told about the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

I know that we do not save people only God does. However, it is up to us to plant the seed or at least put a stone in their shoe. Even stubborn people may one day find the truth of Jesus because multiple Christians took the time to talk about God with them.

There is no way to know what words we offer will plant the seed, water the seed or tend the sprout. Evangelizing is kind of like baseball. We each get a chance to bat. We are trying to get someone home to God. Sometimes we strike out, but that doesn’t mean that the individual does inch closer to the next base. Additionally, we have no way of knowing what base they are on.

Sometimes we are getting them to first. Other times they are on third leaning home and we bunt them in. In these instances, it is important that we did hit a home run. Instead the ground work was done by numerous Christians before us.

One example that has happened in our life of the unknown power of always spreading God’s message is my wife’s cousin. We really did nothing except take him to church with us once. However, this made him decide to attend church regularly. In fact, we had no idea that he was even a member of a church until nearly a year later.

He is now going to church services and bible studies. He also actively watches several Christian videos on YouTube in his free time. Merely our invite to church was enough to make him thirst for God.

All this to say that we did not save him we simply opened the door and he looked God. How often have we as Christians simply talking about something spiritual lead someone to seek God? For this reason, we here at Mountain Majesty Ministries must continue our mission of posting thoughtful blogs every week.

May God use each of us to carryout his mission here on earth. To spread his message of redemption and grace to each and every person who recognizes Jesus’s glorious sacrifice and divinity.

Written by: Dustin Freshour