I deliberately sinned today

So I work in a Supermarket. I hate selling people cigarettes /gambling items such as lottery tickets etc (anyone who smokes /does lotteries etc who's reading this, I'm sorry if I sound like I'm being harsh and judgemental). Anyways, God has been really showing up in my life and yesterday I believe He pulled off something amazing in my life that gives me good reason to trust Him. YET, today when a woman approached the counter looking for 2 packs of cigarettes, I served her. In my heart, I don't believe it was something I could have done in faith making it sinful. I should have done something to try and get around it but I couldn't. Thus I deliberately sinned. I'm venting here, I did wrong today so I'm just trying to get it off my chest. God bless

I'm looking for prayers that God will guide me in this situation. I don't deserve it, but I need Him in my life

You committed no sin whatsoever. It is not your place to try to avoid certain tasks that your employer pays you and expects you to do. Seems to me you were judging the customer by what they purchased. I would not say that you sinned in this regard either but is something to keep in mind. You did no wrong here in this instance.

Jesus says "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God". When you accept a job you have a responsibility to your employer to perform your job to the best of your ability with the tools and resources that are provided.

Personally, I agree with brother Tourist.

I would suggest, though, that if your conscience is pricked you might, for your own well-being mentally and emotionally, seek another line of work.

God Bless you for your desire to please God.

I would concur with tourist on this. First of all, smoking is not specifically labeled as a sin. I believe that smoking or not smoking is a personal choice and is between God and the individual. In either case, it is not eternal life threatening! And second and as tourist pointed out, you are an employee working in a supermarket and these are products that they are providing for the customers, not you. It's not something that you should not beat yourself up over. You're only the clerk that is ringing up their purchases, not forcing those products upon them.

Praying for you to NOT be so conflicted! Trust the Lord,He alone knows you heart! Blessings!🙏🙏🙏

These people are most likely unsaved. And going to do these things with or without you. If you didn't sell them what changed? They go somewhere else and buy it. Not selling to them isn't preventing a sinner from sinning further.
Do you sell junk food, candy, etc...?

I would just like to add that you may just be the light that shines into these customers on ANY given day.

I think you may be getting a little too caught up in this and a little too over sensitive.

Both Christians and non Christians smoke and drink. It’s their choice and their conscience to decide if it’s right or wrong.

Some eat meat some don’t if you were a vegetarian would it be sinful to serve meat to someone?

Some eat pork some don’t, some eat genetically modified foods some don’t, some countries literally eat dogs some don’t. etc etc

What another person puts into their body is their responsibility not yours. Cigarettes also have warnings on the packet and it’s not as if people don’t know of the dangers.

As long as you are selling legal items to people. As opposed to illegal then you’re conscience is clear.

Mark 7:14-16 NLT
[14] Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand. [15-16] It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart."

I thank you for taking the time to reply 😊 however I still feel rather unnerved selling these items, I dunno what will become of me in this job, I may leave it as I feel that God could have put this on my heart

Unfortunately there are many wonderful Christian people who smoke, but that has nothing to do with Christianity and you should not be so concerned about it. Some people get easily irritated when they haven't had a cigarette in a while so they become more vulnerable to the temptations of anger if you don't serve them cigarettes. You should change your job. You don't have to leave your workplace, you could do a different job at the same place if it's big enough to have multiple workers in it at the same time. I appreciate that you care for people's addictions this way, addictions are a huge problem these days when everything is available to everyone.

If you leave this position try the best you can to make sure it’s GODs will. He may have you where your at to be a light. You may be there to be a witness to someone. Look for opportunities, it may just be a word “ God bless you “ or something small that can make a big difference in someone’s life. I admire you for your convictions and your heart to serve God. Bless you

But there IS a line. What if they started selling sex toys? Or drugs (assuming a legal marijuana state)? Or satanic items? You can't just take any old job and say "if I do my best at it it's all ok". God considers the body a temple, are you really good with smoking in the temple?

It could be that God has put this on the OP's heart as something that needs to stop.

It could very well be Ricky.

You are putting WAAAAAY more focus on sin, rather than on Jesus Himself. Let them see Christ in you with a warm smile, and a loving demeanor. They likely already know smoking is bad for them. they might not know eternity without Christ is way worse for them.

Also, you are in for a rough walk in the Lord, if you are fretting over every little thing you do as being sin.

His burden is light! Keep your eyes on Him and off of you, and others.

Welcome to CC BTW!!

It is a difficult choice ahead of you. The Lord does not want us judging other people. Or at least judging others too harshly. Yes, Smoking is unhealthy but it isn't sinful. I Smoke. I enjoy it. I don't take drugs{prescribed, over the counter or narcotics}. I also only drink in moderation and then it is only to relax my back and muscles as I suffer from backpain from time to time.

Follow your conscience. If it doesn't line up with the word then don't follow your conscience...as in directly contradicts.

Not working at a place where you effect the sale of tobacco products and lottery tickets is not that hard of a step. I don't think you need to quit right away though, give your two weeks and look for work elsewhere.

Depending on your age I would consider food service (like chick-fil-a). Pay is not great, but not much worse than grocery at the lowest tier.


My life is full of choices like that. If your conscience is pricked and you pray and seek about it and it remains, follow what he has placed on your spirit. Don't focus on what other people are saying...I personally don't want to work as a gas station teller for the same reason. Nothing to do with judging the world or their practices though.

Judging members of the body though for smoking, gambling and drinking? Yes I believe we are required to do that. Not in the way that many people view judgment though. It's something to be careful and consider fully...there are fleshly judgments that come from pharasaical self-righteousness and then Godly judgments. Focus on your own walk and leave others to theirs until it is clear to you.


Anyone that says smoking isn't a sin needs to understand more of what pharmakeia is, and to at least consider that angle.

I'm not going to give my opinion on smoking though at present, except that there are many factors. Based off how destructive it is to say that it's alright is pushing it. Nicotine addiction is no joke and I understand the struggle personally.

WOW- unsaved- less we be judged.

You're right. The large portion of the country are Christians, so i should, by default, presume them all to be Christians.