Sin is not much spoken about these days. It is a term coined only for religious followers and does not pertain to people that are considered mainstream culture. Bringing up the word sin makes us quiver and dates us centuries back. Why would we associate ourselves with knowing what sin is and avoid it if it is not in our everyday vocabulary? As our culture moves more and more into the digital era, our language consists of words and phrases that make sin no longer black and white but have color-coded it into the grey, lukewarm zone. Our sense to detect it is not so clear but muddled. Sin has become a melting pot soup of everything we and others have thrown into it.
We are all imperfect humans with many flaws, and the number one precursor to sin is our “desires.” Desire is one of those terms that has been repackaged into a new word to fit into our digital era, but it has the same effect. The following words…..followers, likes, binge, goals, impressions, engagements, viral, CTA (call to action), and avatar all play into our desires.
It is no wonder that our culture is struggling with finding God and relating to Jesus. Our desires take center stage in our everyday life. Jesus’s life represents humility, and his triumph over temptation is an example of great humility. Like a double sword, we need to stay relevant and in tune with society, yet, if we do, we are thrown into the melting pot of sin that is slowly brewing and clouding our judgments and identity. Desires rank #1 in the precursor to sin, and having too much of it affects discontentment, which will lead to bad habits forming. Increasing the above desires without having a spiritual armor opens the door to things that will move us away from God and his will. Our culture tells us we must increase our desire to create good habits and live a life worth living.
In contrast, giving in to our desires will amplify our fear of losing what we have gained and protecting something that will not last. Putting on the spiritual armor requires us to suit up with good habits such as learning to think less of ourselves, begin to pray more often, and learning to detach from unhealthy desires. Preventative medicine to desire is humility. Being humble and have faith within ourselves to see God is a starting point. When we rely too much on this world, we will lose ourselves and gain a false self (avatar). No longer will we know who we are or what we are built for. Learning to be humble gives death to our avatar and life to our real identity in Jesus Christ. We may not be monks living in a remote area or priests and nuns living in monasteries, but we can learn to adopt their healthy habits that will help grow our faith and make it stronger so when it is time to go into spiritual battle, we are well suited and armored up to fight.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13