Sin and Grace

"By the grace of God I am a Christian, by my deeds a great sinner..." ~The Way of a Pilgrim

For the most part I don't see myself as a great sinner. Big sins are things other people do. I don't kill or intentionally hurt others. I would never abuse children. I don't shoplift, rob banks, embezzle money. I don't cheat or try to take advantage of others.

What makes a sin "great"? Is it the size of it, like the tragedy of 911? Is it the frequency of it, like abusing our God-given bodies with addictive behavior? Is it the intentionality of it, like the recent school shootings? Is it the level of hatefulness, like setting homeless people on fire for "fun"? Is it the level of abusiveness, like pedophilia or incest?

Before I sit back and congratulate myself on not being a great sinner, I have to ask...do I gossip? Do I lie (even little white lies)? Do I judge others...and see them as less than me? Do I take pride in all that I've accomplished, forgetting that anything I've gained has been not only through my efforts but also through the help of God, parents, family, friends, teachers, mentors, circumstances, and even my "enemies"? Do I lose faith despite God's continuing care for me? Aren't these significant sins also?

I don't know what makes a person a "great" sinner and I don't know where the line is drawn between a big sin and a little sin. What I do know is that without the grace of God, my life would be lost because the one thing I know about sinners is that I am one.