In a women’s Sunday school class many years ago, in a lesson taught by a godly woman of the Word, I enjoyed (except that I was also convicted which is never exactly enjoyable) a lesson entitled The 7 Deadly Sins of Women.
Since then, with the permission of that Bible teacher (thank you, Pat Habashy), I have added to, edited, and taught that lesson at dozens of retreats and women’s events (something I’ve never done with any other lesson or sermon I’ve ever heard). I even included The 7 Deadly Sins of Women in The Temple, one of the Bible studies I’ve written. And today . . .
It’s your turn to discover The 7 Deadly Sins of Women.
But before I share them with you, please read the following passage:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB)
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
You, my dear sister, have one primary purpose in life: to glorify God — to glo, girl! And that wouldn’t be a problem except for one thing: You. And me, too. We get in God’s way. We are the primary problem that prevents God from being glorified in our lives.
And you know why? Because far too often we are far more focused on self than we are on Him. Self seeks the spotlight in soooo many subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways. Which now brings me to . . .
The 7 Deadly Sins of Women
7 sins of self that prevent us from glorifying God
1) Self-Pity – The constant need to rehash and rehearse past hurts; the choice to maximize our offenses and minimize our blessings.
2) Self-Love – The constant need to focus on ourselves and filter everything according to the way it affects us; the choice to maximize my value and minimize the value of others.
3) Self-Importance – The constant need to be noticed or to receive recognition; the choice to do good so that we will look good.
4) Selfishness – The constant need to take everything we can get even at the expense of others; the choice to be a taker instead of a giver.
5) Self-Image – The constant need to spend inordinate amounts of time, energy, and money on our appearance; the choice to focus more on how we appear to others than on how we appear to God.
6) Self-Abasement – The constant need to beat ourselves up over past sins and mistakes; the choice to live in a pit of false guilt and shame instead of accepting God’s forgiveness and forgiving ourselves.
7) Self-Righteousness – The constant need to see ourselves as being more “spiritual” than others; the choice to believe that our own good works have resulted in spiritual maturity.
I confess, I have been guilty of all seven sins. I could even add a few more like self-consciousness, self-indulgence, and self-reliance. What about you?
It’s Monday, precious sister, the perfect party day for self-pity and all of the other deadly sins of self. Will you glorify God today and throughout this week? Or, will you allow self to steal the spotlight and prevent you from fulfilling God’s primary purpose for your life?
Today, let’s do something together. Let’s get over ourselves. Let’s empty ourselves of self, and ask God to fill us with Himself. Today, as a new week begins, let’s glo, girl!
Your sister,
Any other deadly sins of self you can add to the list? Let me hear from you!