Days 4: Repent

Day 4: Repent-to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better.

Lord knows I have sinned so I'm never gonna be one to throw stones, cuz my house and foundation are made of glass. What's interesting about the above definitions is the 2nd, for it implies that true repentance is not simply saying "hey, I'm sorry" but about taking action to make sure that we don't offend again, and again, and again. As I thought about this day, I vacillated as to whether to repent and to release were one and the same thing, before concluding that while they very well could be if a sin or offense that one sought to repent for also was such a burden that it needed to be released. If thats the case, then there is nothing wrong with repetition as we seek to cleanse our soul.  Given that I asked to be released from Justin Beiber and earlier today took his name is vain suggest I have some work to do.

The 7 Deadly Sins are frequently cited by religious folk and in various forms are mentioned throughout the Bible. Alex, give me all 7 for $1000.  Here we go, lets see how we fare.
1) Pride-- not guilty. I have no pride.
2) Envy--guilty. I'm jealous of many, including Justin Beiber
3) Gluttony--guilty. I have eaten at Golden Corral more than 212 times. Which leads to...
4) Lust--guilty. Have you seen some of the servers at the Golden Corral? I believe Tiger mistress #14 worked there. 
5) Anger. Not guilty. I am moderately liberal independent with Democratic leanings. In other words, I'm never angry. Does frustrated count as anger? I also heard that sarcasm was anger's cousin, if thats the case, I might have to change my plea.
6) Greed. Not guilty. I work at neither AIG, am not an entertainer or maker of 3D films, nor am I a member of Congress.  Plus, I drive a Saturn. Come on now.
7) Sloth. Guilty. I'm so lazy it took me 43 minutes to type s-l-o-t-h.  This is perhaps my greatest sin, and to be honest, is the one that is most difficult to overcome. Wow, now I need a nap.

Practical Application: Ask for forgiveness. Be mindful of the ways in which you stray from the path, be alert to the people and situations that help foster an environment conducive to sin, and understand the consequences of your thoughts and actions. Needless to say, Friday was a busy day, and I was so lazy I didn't confess my sin until Saturday. Lord help me.  On a side note, one thing that can help with a repetitive sin is to keep a journal--even mentally, that tracks that particular sin--when you do it, what is your attitude, etc. We can't repent if we have no intention of repeating that which we leads to our repentance.