Some questions about not being evil

[Blood_Angel]

I haven’t posted for a while, just a guy learning about your religion. Sometimes I feel a spiritual calling one way or another, other days I feel like a I’m a weak and shamed soul consumed in the shameful system of sin.
But anyway, here’s my questions.

I have managed to beat my addictions to alcohol and cigarettes, started eating vegetarian food and generally attempting to improve my life. What is the next steps to fighting sin?
I am not saying that not drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes alone makes you a good person in terms of Catholicism, but it has helped my life, somewhat. Although more difficult to cope with the many bad days.

And how can be a good person without letting people walk over me and take advantage of that, by always relying on me to cover shifts etc ??

 

[ThereWasADream]

The best thing to do when you are trying to move away from sin is to just practice the matching virtue. If you are having trouble with selfishness, for instance, start to be more charitable with your time and money.

Another thing…being good doesn’t mean you let people walk over you. If people started asking me to cover extra shifts at work, and I didn’t want to do it, I would say no. Nothing wrong with that!

PS You are not morally obligated to be a vegetarian, at least not in the Catholic belief…But if you like being a vegetarian…go for it…just sayin’.

 

[Heuchler]

Learn to love everyone around you. When your life is centered on showing love and kindness, you will learn to get over your sins and to beat them. So, good luck and God bless

 

[JRKH]

I haven’t posted for a while, just a guy learning about your religion. Sometimes I feel a spiritual calling one way or another, other days I feel like a I’m a weak and shamed soul consumed in the shameful system of sin.

Praise God for you curiosity and courage.
The feelings you express here are quite common, even among those recognized as great saints. So you are in good company.

But anyway, here’s my questions.

I have managed to beat my addictions to alcohol and cigarettes, started eating vegetarian food and generally attempting to improve my life. What is the next steps to fighting sin?
I am not saying that not drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes alone makes you a good person in terms of Catholicism, but it has helped my life, somewhat. Although more difficult to cope with the many bad days.

First of all, congratulations on beating the addictions. These are tough things to do.

As to what is next, I suppose it will depend on the particular sin.
The thing to remember is that being Christian is about Love. Love of God and Love of neighbor as ourselves. So things that improve Love, move towards Love are good things.
There is a list of so called “7 deadly sins” that, instead of pointing toward fairly specific actions, tend to point toward “character flaws”. I think of these as “root causes” of sin and working on these can bring about improvements in many areas of life.
You can view the list and brief descriptions HERE.

And how can be a good person without letting people walk over me and take advantage of that, by always relying on me to cover shifts etc ??

This can be difficult. In so far as we are able we should be willing to “go the extra mile”, but there are certainly limits.
The only thing I can say is to continue to base your decisions on Love. Now, Love can certainly mean you wind up working more shifts (and getting rich…), but it can also mean that you need to be firm because there are other people that you love who need your time and attention. Likewise you need to make sure that you do not end up making yourself sick from overwork. These are legitimate reasons to decline to cover shifts etc.

Peace
James

 

[Indigo77]

You should pray the rosary. Our Lady made 15 promises to people who say the rosary regularly one of them being ‘The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies’…I am the worst sinner of them all but it seems to be helping me let go of various sins I have been quite attached to…for more info go to…ourladyswarriors.org/prayer/15promise.htm

 

[Blood_Angel]

Thanks for the replies, they’re very much appreciated.

I really feel strong enough to not relapse the previous addictions, despite being surrounded by people that enjoy a good drink.

However there’s many other bad habits I’ve developed over time and crimes committed in sickness and I find it difficult to forgive myself. I don’t want to be haunted by past mistakes and wonder if simply loving everybody around me is enough to amend those mistakes.
I am also not sure if I know how to love properly, I always liked the idea of it but it seemed like something mythological and out of reach.

 

[fhansen]

Thanks for the replies, they’re very much appreciated.

I really feel strong enough to not relapse the previous addictions, despite being surrounded by people that enjoy a good drink.

However there’s many other bad habits I’ve developed over time and crimes committed in sickness and I find it difficult to forgive myself. I don’t want to be haunted by past mistakes and wonder if simply loving everybody around me is enough to amend those mistakes.
I am also not sure if I know how to love properly, I always liked the idea of it but it seemed like something mythological and out of reach.

Love is the fulfillment of the Law according to scripture. It’s what makes us* just*-the people God intends us to be. And we can’t do it on our own-we need more, we need Him-that’s the essence of the New Covenant prophesied in Jer 31:

**“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the LORD.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
**
This is the relationship to God man lost at the Fall. As we seek Him-asking, seeking, and knocking, He answers, responding to our faith, however meager it may be at first.

And faith’s a gift from Him to begin with; the Atonement restores man’s faith in spite of the fact that He never deserved to be doubted. It was the ultimate ‘turning of the cheek’.

 

[JRKH]

Thanks for the replies, they’re very much appreciated.

I really feel strong enough to not relapse the previous addictions, despite being surrounded by people that enjoy a good drink.

Indeed. There are times when one cannot avoid the “near occasion of sin”.
In the case of being around people who “enjoy a good drink” you will know that they are true friends by how they respect you, your decision, your struggle etc. such that, not only would they not offer you a drink, but that if they saw you weakening they would do all they could to prevent your falling.

However there’s many other bad habits I’ve developed over time and crimes committed in sickness and I find it difficult to forgive myself. I don’t want to be haunted by past mistakes and wonder if simply loving everybody around me is enough to amend those mistakes.
I am also not sure if I know how to love properly, I always liked the idea of it but it seemed like something mythological and out of reach.

In this I am reminded of the Hugely beautiful and valuable sacrament of reconciliation, commonly referred to as “confession”. The graces that flow from that Sacrament have renewed me on many occasions.

Does that mean that I do not recall my past sins, or that I do not grieve over them and repent of them anew? Certainly not. Some of my past sins are such that nothing will blot out their memories. But this is not all bad either…
Such memories can cause us to despair, or they can cause us to renew our commitment to never “go there” again. That is the beauty of memory, the ability to learn from past mistakes.
You wonder if “simply loving everybody” is enough to make up for those mistakes…The short answer is YES it is.
There may be longer, more theological answers to this, but it all really boils down to this. We cannot change the past, we can only repent of it and move forward in Love. God does not keep a ledger where we must have so many “good acts” to offset so many “bad acts”.

So move forward in Love and confidence that the Holy Spirit is leading you. Perhaps someday, if your investigation of Catholicism moves forward, you might be able to take advantage of the great graces available in the sacraments.

Peace
James