There are times in life when we stumble, and mistakes are sometimes made. How you respond to your wrongdoings is part of what defines your character - if your response to committing a sin is on this list, you’re not going to take steps to improve yourself. In this episode, Donald lays out seven phrases that won’t help your spiritual growth, and why you should leave them behind. 

1. “The Devil made me do it.” The Devil can not force you to do something, or not do something. He may try to manipulate you, but only you are responsible for your actions. This statement gives your power away and hands it to the Devil.

2. “It’s just a small sin.” People will use language like this to justify doing the same wrong thing over and over again until they become desensitized to the wrongdoing. No matter how ‘small’ one action may be, it’s still a sin, and when repeated, can have a big impact.

3. “God knows my heart.” Even though this is true, humans may not! Your actions are what other people know about you, and if you aren’t trying to live as a student of God, that does not reflect well upon you and it can cause harm to others. Ask yourself,  “Am I demonstrating that I love God by my action?”

4. “At least I’m not doing _____.” This phrase, in effect, is justifying your behavior by saying it’s not as bad as something else you could be doing. In this phrase, you’re admitting that you know you’re doing something wrong. If you are aware of this, you have a responsibility not to do it.

5. “I’ll repent later.” The idea that someone can just sin whenever and as much as they want because they plan to repent is disrespectful of the concept of atonement. If you have sinned before you knew better, repent, and don’t do it in the future.

6. “_____ was a good person, and they do (sin).” You don’t have any control over the actions other people take, and only you will answer for the things you do. 

7. “I’m only human, and I make mistakes.” As humans, we have to take ownership of our agency and our actions. We should try, every day, to become closer to God, and phrases like this make it seem as though, no matter what you do, you will never improve. This takes away your motivation to work towards your spiritual growth.

“Change the way that you think. Think about yourself as a son, or a daughter, of God, and that you are capable of doing amazing things.” - Donald Kelly

Have you ever said any of the statements on this list? We get it - when you know better, you do better. Maybe you know someone who is trying to “do better” as well - send them this episode and encourage them to subscribe. If you liked what you heard, leave us a rating or review on iTunes. If you need someone to talk to and you’d like to reach out to Donald, e-mail donaldckelly09@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter or Instagram.