Why is it that some sins are socially acceptable while
other sins elicit shame and condemnation so great the "sinner" often feels unaccepted by their fellow Christians and unwelcome in the Church? And yet, there is a sin is so common, so obvious and destructive... yet rarely (if ever) "righteously judged" by those that feel called to hold others spiritually accountable!
This sin is so common that if those committing this sin were shunned from church, the attendance on Sunday morning would plummet by
at least 2/3! This sin is externally fairly obvious to others as it often correlates with a change in girth. What is this sin? Why, it is the sin of
gluttony!
I'm in
no way condemning, judging, shaming those that struggle with the sin of gluttony as
I struggle with the sin of overeating myself! I often find myself turning to food for comfort, entertainment and diversion when I should only be eating what I need, nothing more... nothing less. Overindulging, when instead of turning to God I turn to find my comfort in food instead.
Thankfully however, when I sin there are few in the church that make me feel less Christian because of my lifestyle and behavior. There are no picket lines protesting my favorite restaurants and buffets... and there are no laws working their way through congress to make sure I don't break this moral code!
Its not like us "sinners" can hide in the closet either... most people who have succumb to gluttony's temptation wear their sin on their body frames for all to see! It's not like we can forget it either... each time I get dressed, look in a mirror or step on a scale I am humbly reminded of how I too, have fallen short.
Why are so many of us Christians so quick to judge others as sinful and admonish our brothers and sisters yet we have this huge log in our own eye? Why is my sin socially acceptable even though it is clearly unbiblical and yet other people are literally kicked out of church for a "sin" that is not directly addressed by Jesus at all! If those who believe homosexuality is a sin were to be fair, no overweight or obese people should be allowed to take leadership roles in Fundamental Bible Churches who pride themselves in Biblical literalism... anything else it, well... hypocritical.
Yet, some of my fellow Christians with this obvious plank in their own eye continue to throw stones at other "sinners" separating them from the Christian fold. How can they be so
disgusted by alternative lifestyles and differences in gender love preferences and yet not disgusted by themselves?
Ahhh! Perhaps therein lies the answer! Perhaps we are
so disgusted by ourselves that we find comfort, false pride and confidence by pointing out the weaknesses, sins and shortcoming of others. We feel as if we point to the flame of sin in someone else's life we can avert their eyes from the fire of sin in our own lives! Except it doesn't work. Our God, and consequently our religion, is then exposed of it's hypocrisy & lack of love... thereby misrepresenting Jesus and His message of salvation and hope. It is my prayer that my fellow Christ followers and I will focus on our own planks and stop looking at the "sin" of others unless our own eyes are 100% plank-free and our vision has been restored and leave the judging to God... whose vision is perfect.
A Special thank you to the link below for inspiring me to speak out against the hypocrisy of so many of us in the Christian Church...
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/socially-acceptable-sin
