Sins & Synonyms
“Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.” Job 6:24
Have you ever asked your spouse or a close friend to tell you what your weaknesses are? Have you asked them to list your shortcomings as they see them, to work on those particular areas? I would have to say that not many of us practice this regularly, if at all. But, just like the mote and the beam (Matthew 7:3-5), how blind we can become to our faults while the transgressions of others seem to glare.
Now, there is a possible problem with asking a spouse or friend. Often, they may be reluctant to be totally honest with us for fear of hurting our feelings or even losing that relationship. But, you know what? If we are saved, there is a Friend we can go to with this type of request and He will be faithful to give us the truth…because He loves us and desires for us to become more like Him!
It’s not easy to pray something like –
“Lord, show me who I am. I really desire to see those things in my life that are not pleasing to you. Lord, help to see them…help me to understand what you think of them…help it to break my heart…help me to desire to change them. Lord, I truly desire to become more like you.”
This morning, these thoughts have been running through my mind and, as I thought about some particular besetting sins in my own life, the Lord seemed to direct me to look up the synonyms for these particular areas in order to better understand my weaknesses. As I read the different synonyms listed, I jotted them down in my prayer journal for a continual reminder.
To give an example, let’s say an area in which we struggle is worry. Here are just some of the synonyms listed:
WORRY – anguish, apprehension, concern, doubt, fear, headache, misery, misgiving, pain, uncertainty, uneasiness, woe, vexation…
To say I have a “worry problem” is one thing. But, to read all those other synonyms is really eye-opening, isn’t it?
What about envy?
ENVY – hatred, ill will, malice, prejudice, resentment, rivalry, backbiting, coveting, lusting, spite…
All I can say to that is – wow.
Are we a discourager?
DISCOURAGE – alarm, bother, confuse, dampen, demoralize, depress, dismay, frighten, intimidate, scare, trouble…
Maybe complaining is one area in which we struggle –
COMPLAIN – accuse, criticize, denounce, disagree, fret, gripe, grumble, moan, object, oppose, protest…
I think you get the idea.
Again, putting this into practice concerning areas the Lord has shown me in my own life will prayerfully give me a better understanding of what I am dealing with in this ol’ flesh of mine. And, along with the understanding, a better ability to recognize them when they rear their ugly heads.
If you would like to do your own list of synonyms, a site that I use often in my writing is www.thesaurus.com
“O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.” Psalm 69:5