It is not always easy to control our natural urges. Our consumer culture seems completely devoid of any moral compass, constantly leading us towards temptation. Turn on the TV, watch any movie, listen to any song, look at any advertisement online or on the TV or in a movie...we are constantly bombarded by sins of the flesh: lust, violence, gluttony, greed, envy. As followers of Christ, the task of resisting these temptations may seem daunting, and it is. However, considering the consequences of relenting and giving in to these temptations, it is obviously worthwhile.

The Old Testament commandments are often prohibitive, and God’s prophets more strict than the Apostles. In the verses directly preceding these, Paul writes that circumcision, a commandment of Moses, is no longer necessary and does not measure the worth of a man (Galatians 5:6). In the verses above, Paul writes about much of the sins to avoid, but he also mentions what we should pursue: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. These we should perform in abundance, the sins as sparingly as possible. It may sound difficult when you read the words, but it is a guide to make our lives and the world as the kingdom of heaven: one of eternal love and life everlasting.

"Sins are like credit cards: enjoy now; pay later." -Unknown