Self-improvement : sin ?

[dave91]

Wanting to be good at something, is it a sin ? Is it a sin to compete in something ? Because the goal is to be better than your opponent, that's unavoidable. So if you want to be better than your opponent, isn't it a way to glorify yourself ? And in glorifying oneself, isn't it a sin ? How can you compete at something without having a certain pride of wanting to be good ?

 

[dave91]

Are you looking for justification for you desire to workout from CFnet members? Seems to me that you are answering your own questions. Perhaps there is something about yourself that needs to be worked on.

No I think it's the opposite. You keep telling me I don't sin by working out, that is a way of glorifying God, but I don't see that way. I don't understand the point of improving one's physical abilities since it's unnecessary. But ok, I feel like my questionning is fool so you can stop trying to answer me.

 

[Free]

No I think it's the opposite. You keep telling me I don't sin by working out, that is a way of glorifying God, but I don't see that way. I don't understand the point of improving one's physical abilities since it's unnecessary. But ok, I feel like my questionning is fool so you can stop trying to answer me.

So, are all those athletes whom God has gifted sinning by trying to become the best they can be physically? Taking care of one’s body through exercise, even rigorous exercise, is no different than focusing on eating healthy. Some of the end goals are the same, but physical exercise is better yet and isn’t unnecessary.

At this point in time, if you feel it is a sin, then it is a sin for you and you only. Perhaps in time you will come to see differently, perhaps not.

 

[Christ_empowered]

Hi

There’s a big difference between humility and self centered attempts at being humble. Honestly I think godly humility takes time and real life experiences to cultivate and even then the flesh fights back. It is what it is..

Self punishment is generally rooted in self love that’s been distorted. Not a criticism at all…

Personally I’ve found that a lot of my so called psychiatric problems were rooted in distorted self love as it played out in my own social context.

The best most reasonable approach to self love was one I found on a catholic site. Basically take a step back and let Him work. Love God as you love yourself…

Because you do love yourself everyone does.

 

[gordon777]

I know it seems like a fable for most people, but the testimony of Jesus Christ is the truth, and it is the only thing worth knowing, and the only thing that everybody ignores nowadays, even on a Christian forum.

Did Jesus show n example of self improvement ?

Nowhere to live, nothing to eat, no comforts, no life, and death.

What was all of that done for ?

It cant be for people to go on in vanity, it must be for some to follow Him, as the Apostles, did, to also self denial, to be eaten up by this evil pretending world, to have nothing, to be killed.

Here is the mystery of Christ and the church.

Christ gave Himself for the church, and this is how we are to love others.

Christ did all He did, suffered all he did, ( not self improvement at all, that is this world) to present the church to Him glorious, to be holy without blemish.

This is how men should live and love another, ( they cannot love in any other way) to believe that Christ nourished us, through not living for Himself, but He did all for our sakes.

The Apostles suffer the same things of Christ, to show us the way to love others, NOT OURSELVES.



1 Corinthians 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

 

[dave91]

It is fine for you to believe that, but you can't put that onto others. And glorifying God with our bodies has nothing to do with what others think about our bodies; that's fully on them. I workout regularly and do it for the mental and physical health benefits, which glorifies God. Regular, moderate exercise has significant benefits for old age, including to help ward off or at least slow the progress of things like dementia, diabetes, and heart disease. It can help protect against falling or breaking something if one falls. It also helps keep one healthy and strong enough to be able to be helpful to others.

You may not be able to do it without it becoming an issue of pride, but that doesn't mean pride becomes an issue for others.


Your questions are fine. There is just much more you need to learn about Christianity and what the Bible says, as we all do in various ways. This is a lifelong process.

You do work out for the mental and physical health benefits, which is totally fine, good for you. But there are many, including me, who do it to increase their muscle mass, their strenght, their physical endurance, etc. And it can become a source of pride, and it was my issue. By the way, I'm far from being the only one who had this issue.

Now, I want to start training again, for the same purposes but without it making me proud. Of course, there are all the mental and body health benefits in the package, but I view training mostly as a hobby, a way to push myself by becoming more muscular, strong, enduring, etc. My problem is ok, I don't want it to make me proud, and you mentionned that it's not a sin, that as long as I remain humble that's fine, but how do I do that ? Because let's say that after a few months I've gained some significant muscle mass and improved my physical abilities, of course I will be glad for it because that's what I aimed. But why would I be glad for that if it's not because I am proud of my results ? After all, what does it change whether I'm skinny or muscular, or strong or weak ? I'd rather being muscular than skinny, but why ? What does it change ? Does God really want us to care about those kind of details ? My point is not to say that having those goals is a sin, but I just try to understand the kind of mindset that I must have. And I'm not just talking about training, but about every little (or big) things that one may accomplish.

 

[dave91]

So, are all those athletes whom God has gifted sinning by trying to become the best they can be physically?

No I'm not saying they are, but on the other hand I keep wondering why one would want to be the best they can physically, or at any sports. Because athletes set themselves some goals, and those goals are set in function of being better than others.

 

[WIP]

You do work out for the mental and physical health benefits, which is totally fine, good for you. But there are many, including me, who do it to increase their muscle mass, their strenght, their physical endurance, etc. And it can become a source of pride, and it was my issue. By the way, I'm far from being the only one who had this issue.

This is a good observation. Now, don't let it become a source of self pride and arrogance but instead let it be used to build up the temple of the Holy Spirit, ergo, your body. An idol is anything you may place before or above God. It's all in our perspective and our motives.

 

[gordon777]

How to not fulfil the lust of the flesh ?

Walking in the Spirit, is how to not be doing the lust of the flesh.



Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.



Now, all that loves things of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,and the pride of life, is of the world and not of the Father. ( all of that passes away and those who do it, it also is the antichrist spirit which denies Christ is come in the flesh.)



1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

 

[elena]

Sin is everything that takes you away from God and towards darkness. Virtue takes you towards God and towards His light and love. You should not compete with others but with yourself. You should strive to become the best version of yourself - the version that God wants you to become. That is to move away from sin and towards God. Here is a list of sins and virtues.

 

[gordon777]

Sin is everything that takes you away from God and towards darkness. Virtue takes you towards God and towards His light and love. You should not compete with others but with yourself. You should strive to become the best version of yourself - the version that God wants you to become. That is to move away from sin and towards God. Here is a list of sins and virtues.

Sin is no truth, no belief in righteousness, sin is hearing others other than God, sin is when we believe in ourselves, and not in Christ having to die and rise from the dead for us.

 

[WIP]

Please remember to stay focused on the OP's questions only.

 

[Power_on_HIgh]

That's exactly why I was asking the question. When I compete in a sport, my goal is to enjoy myself... and to win. It's not about being arrogant, being vain... And if I lose, I am a good loser and I have no problem admitting my opponent is better than me. But on the other hand, my goal is to win, still. So since you want to win, there will always be a part of you that wants to glorify yourself, right ? So wanting to win, in itself, I feel like it's a sin. And it's not just in sports, but in anything actually. I feel like wanting to be good at something is a sin, because I don't see any way of wanting to have any kind of talent without having any form of pride. I feel like anything I do is a sin, except when I spend time with God and serve Him.

When you put in the work, the time, the effort.
A.) Enjoy the victory.

"Meek"does not mean weak or afraid.

God never called us to sit on the sidelines and cheer.
He built us to be in the game, on the field, in the action.

Be the best you can be.
Surpass yourself is the goal, not the option.
Give it your best, at all times.
When you win, enjoy the Victory lap.

Enjoy you life.
God gave it to you to enjoy, as well as to use for His Glory.

 

[Tenchi]

Wanting to be good at something, is it a sin ?

No. Should you want to be bad at things?

Is it a sin to compete in something ? Because the goal is to be better than your opponent, that's unavoidable. So if you want to be better than your opponent, isn't it a way to glorify yourself ?

It certainly could be. But people compete for other reasons, you know. They want the stimulation of competition, not to glorify themselves, but to challenge themselves, to be provoked to new levels of achievement by the skill and effort of others.

And in glorifying oneself, isn't it a sin ?

Yes.

How can you compete at something without having a certain pride of wanting to be good ?

I think taking satisfaction in, being pleased with, a good effort is perfectly all right. Taking pride in it? Not so much.

Working so that you can use your natural talents and abilities to their fullest is not necessarily an egotistical thing. It easily can be, yes, but doing so doesn't have to be prideful. And directing one's well-developed talents and abilities into service to, and glorification of, God greatly helps to keep one humble.

 

[gordon777]

Wanting to be good at something, is it a sin ? Is it a sin to compete in something ? Because the goal is to be better than your opponent, that's unavoidable. So if you want to be better than your opponent, isn't it a way to glorify yourself ? And in glorifying oneself, isn't it a sin ? How can you compete at something without having a certain pride of wanting to be good ?

If you can hate your life and compete in this world at all, at the same time, good for you, if not, lose the whole lire to find it again.


John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

 

[Maria1217]

Wanting to be good at something, is it a sin ? Is it a sin to compete in something ? Because the goal is to be better than your opponent, that's unavoidable. So if you want to be better than your opponent, isn't it a way to glorify yourself ? And in glorifying oneself, isn't it a sin ? How can you compete at something without having a certain pride of wanting to be good ?

Wanting to be good at something is not a sin. For example, wanting to become a skilled doctor. However, if one wants to become good at something for a bad reason then it becomes a sin. For example, wanting to become a skilled doctor in order to perform abortions. If one is competitive in the sense of always seeking to become better than others simply for the sake of pride, then it becomes sinful. We must seek to please God, not men. What do we have that we have not received from God? When one feels pride begin to spring up in one’s heart then is the time to recall to mind the sufferings of Our Lord for our sins and to make an act of humility, for example, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us; but to thy name give glory.”