For many years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the “seven deadly sins”—which I guess is the whole point of the matter. If they weren’t sins I wouldn’t hate being captured by them but if they weren’t so much a part of who I am I wouldn’t love them so much!
Consequently, I have read and prayed about these fundamental allurements for many years with mixed results. But a book that recently helped me is Glittering Vices by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung. In this book, the author gives a rich historical perspective on these spiritual weights to the soul from Evagrius, Cassian, Augustine, Gregory, Aquinas and others but also seeks to apply their understanding to contemporary life.
For instance, the commentary on the vice of sloth was insightful for me not because I see myself as a slothful person. Far from it—which it turns out is part of the problem. I work hard in my job, at our church and in my walk with the Lord. I embrace the disciplines and a disciplined life. But such a fastidious approach to virtue has masked when spiritual sloth takes its effect. De Young suggests that sloth “has more to do about being lazy about love than being lazy about our work.”
She posits sloth as the enemy of sanctification or of a resistance to the transforming work of the Spirit by substituting human effort instead. She says that sloth can indeed be characterized as laziness but it is a laziness of the soul which can also be manifested by busyness.
So a remedy for sloth is ironically not more work but genuine Sabbath taking. This is not so glittering but it does give spiritual rest that counteracts the pull of sloth working on my soul.
Join the Conversation
Have you, like Bob, had a love-hate relationship with the seven deadly sins? What has that been like for you?
Which of the seven deadly sins do you struggle with the most?
 Bob Fryling is Publisher of InterVarsity Press and has recently written The Leadership Ellipse: Shaping How You Lead by who You Are. (IVP)
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