A Nasty Word

I was convicted today to write about a nasty word. It's not one of the mundane 4-letter nasty words that are kicking around, but one that is much more inflammatory. It invariably raises eyebrows even for the most cynical among us; especially since it's definition is a hot topic of debate. That word is sin.

Stick with me now. I know this is an unpleasant, uncomfortable, questionable subject.

I used to think sin was what other people do, you know, stuff like murder, grand theft, arson, rape --- you get the idea. I didn't think of myself as a sinner. Then I got to know God better, and to know HIS definition of sin. I sucked in my breath. I didn't like it. I bristled at the idea that we are all of a sin nature. Oswald Chambers says it well.

"You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have...the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings...or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever."

Yes, I had held the latter view. After all, I'm nice to people (most of the time), I haven't killed anyone (although I must admit I have felt a twinge of road rage now and again), I haven't robbed a bank (although I did rob my piggy bank once) -- none of the big, obvious stuff. But again, the more I sat with God, got to know His character, His perfection and His expectations, the more I came to realize and accept the obvious truth. I am a sinner.

Let me share God's words on the subject from Proverbs 6:16-19:

"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
*haughty eyes
*a lying tongue
*hands than 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/woman who stirs up dissensions among brothers/sisters."

The first time I read this I stopped short at the first item on the list and sucked in my breath. Haughty eyes Oh, yes, I can be very prideful and puffed up over of an assessment of my own abilities. Haughty eyes. Not needing God. Doing it all on my own. Aren't I just special?

After I caught my breath on that one, I realized that I wasn't safe on number two -- a lying tongue. I've told a lie or two in my lifetime. I have to admit I'm a terrible liar so most my fibs were minor, but God doesn't categorize lying into the big lies and the small lies. So there you have it, two out of two so far on the sinner's scale.

Number three -- hands that shed innocent blood. Whew, safe on that one. At least one can be crossed off my sinner's score card.

A heart that devises wicked schemes. We can argue over the semantics of "wicked" but if we go with the dictionary, the definition starts out "vicious, depraved" then heads over to "mischievous or playfully malicious" down to "obnoxious, offensive" and ends with "formidable, excellent." Okay, I may not be vicious or depraved, but I can think of a time or two in my life when I have been mischievous, obnoxious and formidably excellent! That makes me three out of four on the sinner's scale. This is getting serious!

Heaven help me. Feet that are quick to rush into evil. Doing the dictionary thing again, "evil" has so many definitions that I will just write down a few: "morally wrong, malevolent, causing an undesirable condition such as pain or ruin, foreboding, undesirable, anger, spite." Yep, you guessed it. I particularly ran head long into evil at a time when I wished my ex-husband and his new wife all kinds of bad things.

My sinner's scale is heating up. At least I got a reprieve on a false witness who pours out lies. Under oath, anyway, my words are as good as gold.

And finally a man/woman who stirs up dissensions among brothers/sisters. I"d be lying if I said I hadn't done that a time or two in my lifetime.

So there you have it. A sinner on 5 out of 7 of the things that God hates and despises. But this is just the short list! There are all sorts of human behaviors and attitudes that bum God out; sadden and anger Him at the same time. It all comes down to disobedience. Disobeying the granddaddy of all His commandments --

Love your Lord God with all your heart, mind and body. And love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Forgive me, Lord, for I am a sinner. Thank you for your precious gift of salvation and forgiveness. Thank you for your unconditional love. Help me to be obedient, and therefore a better person. Help me to walk in your shoes to love others as You do.