A Matter Of Degrees

What is the difference between a woman having an abortion and the husband who hates her for it? Or the father who knocks his daughter unconscience and the mother who slaps her child's hand in anger?

The obvious answer seems to be that there's a huge difference. Possibly the amount of trauma. Or the depth of guilt. But really it's all just a matter of degrees, isn't it?

Jesus said that if we hate someone, we've committed murder. An act of anger is an act of anger. Selfishness is selfishness. It makes me feel better to think that I'm not as bad as someone who beats their child but is that true? Am I any better? Not really. I've yelled at my kids, been really, really angry with them. The impact on them is way different but the impact on my own heart is the same. I've sinned against someone out of my anger.

Sin is all a matter of degrees. The roots are pride and unbelief. The manifestations are different. Some sin gets more consuming than others. Some of us stay out of trouble. As Donald Miller says in Blue Like Jazz, "that doesn't make us good people; it only makes us subdued."