 7 Deadly Sins & 7 Life Giving Virtures "In Whatever You Do, Be Moderate" The obvious virtue that
must be exercise to combat excesses in the use of food and drink is the
virtue of temperance (moderation) It demands that we take an honest
look at our drinking and eating habits and that we exercise
self-discipline over them. It is all too easy to drift into
destructive patterns in these areas and gradually to abandon any real
discipline over them. We will readily find excuses for these
excesses (stress, worry, fun) but never any good reasons. The
life-giving virtue of temperance enables us to take charge of our
lives, to practice moderation and responsibility in these
matters. With honest effort and the grace of God, the life-giving
virtue of temperance can be attained. Non-therapeutic drugs
are used not for reasons of health but for the purpose of pleasure,
self-transcendence, recreation, and the like. There are many
reasons for the widespread use of drugs in our society but one
dimension of the problem that often casually is dismissed is the
spiritual dimension. When the Holy Spirit of God is received into
our lives, the Holy Spirit gives us a sound mind, a will to be
self-disciplined, a knowledge of when to say no to excess, and a deep
conviction when we violate His standards. Temperance is nothing
more than the willingness to surrender to the guidance of Holy Spirit
that His presence, whether it be with food, alcohol, drugs, or anything
else that be used to excess. Our problem with
temperance is wanting to do what we want to do. Our solution with
temperance is to want what God wants, not to give ourselves over to the
god of our stomach or to the pleasure centers of our brain. God
desires a sober mind, not one that is dulled by being over filled with
food or drunken with a chemical. He desires a sober mind that we
might follow Him and know the joy and peace that comes within a
relationship with Him. -thoughts taken from Choosing Virtue in a Changing World: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins Please Email Us With Any Comments or Feedback At ©2005 CopperCountry.com,Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. |
