1 John 5:16-17 (RSV):
"If any
one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin,
he will ask,
and God will give him life for those
whose sin is not mortal.
There is
sin which is mortal;
I do not say that one is to pray for that.
All
wrong doing is sin,
but there is a sin which is not mortal."
Motivation is what drives us to keep moving along in life, living our dreams and reaching our goals. Different people are motivated in different ways. What may motivate one may not motivate another. In the Bible GOD divides sin into two categories, venial sins which are relatively minor sins and produce less guilt then the second categories of sin, which we call mortal sins, also know as the Seven Deadly Sins. These sins are so sever that they are thought to destroy ones grace and charity and and creates a threat of Eternal Damnation. The 'threat' of damnation is often lessened through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Deadly sins are often seen as the origin of all other sins, thus thrusting them into a status of Capital sin.
My Aunt Mary always tells us that even if you do not say the naughty words, thinking them is just as wrong as if we do say them. I've often wondered if any one sin is greater than another. Is it anymore right to steal five dollars as it is five million dollars? Stealing is stealing and it is wrong. Perhaps this is why we divide sins into two categories. Stealing five dollars is a venial sin, whereas stealing five million dollars is a Capital sin. Stealing five dollars is what may someday lead you to steal five million dollars if you are not truly sorry for your error in judgement and ask for forgive and do not repeat the sin of thievery.
MORTAL SINS (aka: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS)
LUST: It is not just a sexual desire deadly sin. Lust is an intense desire and could also include an abnormal desire for money, fame, and power.
GLUTTONY: It is not just about the enormous amount of foods we desire with no regard to waste. Gluttony is about selflessness and the things we strive to own. We tend to want what everyone else has even thought we may not need it. We at all costs obtain possessions that others may need more then we do.
GREED: It is when we lose sight of our character and step into a world of lies, desciption and bribery, most often to become filthy rich, striving to obtain more financial gain then we could possible need.
SLOTH: It is laziness beyond belief. It is when one fails to utilize their talents and skills. It is also when one fails to develop spiritually, never taking the time to thank their creator, taking life and everything in it for granted.
WRATH: It is a failure to forgive those who have done you wrong. It is an immense feeling of anger and hatred for those that have done us wrong. It is immense jealousy for what others have and leads to violence and self destruction.
ENVY: It is the desire to have what others have so badly that you find a way to obtain another person possessions and get pleasure out of seeing them fall low. You are envious of their status, their success, their lives, and you spend more time trying to destroy their lives then build your own.
PRIDE: It is perhaps the biggest deadly sin of all. It is the desire to be more important then anyone else, the desire to be more attractive,more popular, better of then all the others. It is the failure to recognized the good in others. It is the failure to be humble and realize everyone is created equal and no one is better then any other.
GOD provided us with the TEN COMMANDMENTS to guide us to be better Christians as we journey through life on earth and prepare ourselves for the eternal life he promises we will achieve when we take our last breath of life on earth. The SEVEN DEADLY SINS are also a guide for us to reach the heavens that await our arrival. They are not suggestions mind you, they are laws, rules, principles we can build on to be the best we can be on the inside. When you worry about what you don't have in life, you should look inside of yourself and remember what you do have.
Society has become a place where we no longer think about what we need for survival, but what we want to achieve a better life. A better life cannot be found in the latest electronic gadget, or the newest fad in clothing. It cannot be found in a beauty salon or a tanning booth. It cannot be found in the bottom of a beer glass or a wallet on payday. It cannot be found on a TV station or a sports arena. A better life can only be found inside our hearts and when we develop our minds to think spiritually our souls will be cleansed and we will indeed live a better life.
Hug your family, be true to your friends. Forgive your enemies and love your God. Yes, it is that simple. That is all the motivation you need in life to keep moving forward and find the reward of eternal life where we will all gather someday in celebration of the love we shared walking together in a land where we live on borrowed time.
