When I started writing this post, I wasn't sure if I should put
that word in the title. It's such a taboo subject, that I knew so many people wouldn't even read this post when they saw "GLUTTONY," big and bold in the title.
Let's get one thing out of the way before we even start.
1. Gluttony does NOT equal obese. Being a glutton has nothing to do with your weight. Gluttony, like most things when it comes to God, is a condition of your heart, not your belly. So, while it is a sin to be a glutton, it is not a sin to be overweight.
Gluttony, by definition, means to over-indulge and over-consume food, drink, or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste. Gluttony is an action. It is a state of mind, not a state of being.
Obesity, on the other hand, is defined as being very fat, overweight, or excessively fleshy. This is a characteristic, a state of being. It is not an action, or a state of mind.
So, while they both are similar in the fact that they are excessive, they differ greatly when it comes to our motives; our heart. Gluttony is an action that we can choose to control with the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. In this way, we can choose to either glorify God, or sin against God with food, drink, or wealth.
**Because this is a food blog, I will be primarily discussing gluttony from a food standpoint
2. Gluttony is more about a lack of self control than it is about food. We, as followers of Christ, are called to have a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and to be self controlled (Galatians 5:22-23).
We should not allow anything to control us, whether that be food, alcohol, wealth, sex, career, etc. When we over-consume and over-indulge, we are not acting with a spirit of self control, but are giving in to desires of our flesh.
Proverbs 25:16 "If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill and vomit."
This is what we call good, old fashioned, common sense. When we over-indulge, we tend to get ourselves into trouble. We get sick, gain weight, go bankrupt, get a DUI, etc. etc. God gives us this command as a way to protect us. Because He knows, that too much of a good thing, can be a very bad thing.
But this command to refrain from gluttony is more than just a common sense law to protect us.
3. Gluttony is a sin when we use food, or anything, to REPLACE Jesus, to fill a void that Jesus alone is meant to fill. God is a jealous God, and he wants NOTHING to come before him. When we drown ourselves in an entire pan of brownies while looking at the credit card bill, we are not honoring God. When we get on our knees with that credit card bill and ask for God's provision, that is when we honor God. So often, we choose to give in to emotional eating instead of taking those thought and emotions captive and turning to God.
Philippians 3:19 "Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on Earthly things."
When we use earthly, flesh things to fill a void that only Jesus can fill, that thing will become our God, it will control us, and it will slowly destroy us.
4. The more we let food fill the voids in our life, the more we focus on ourselves, instead of focusing on God. This is a major sin. We, as christians are called to continually die to ourselves and to live for Christ. This is what it truly means to follow Christ. That no matter what we are doing, no matter what has happened during our day, we do everything with Jesus in mind.
1 Corinthians 10:31 sums it up best, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
WHY IS GLUTTONY SUCH A BIG DEAL TO GOD?
I know that it is never talked about, and it is a sin that is often overlooked, or even considered ok in some circumstances, but it is called out as a sin many times in the Bible.
Gluttony is an outward, concrete, literal example of FLESH. We, as followers of Jesus are called to die to our flesh and to live in the spirit. When we live in the spirit we are steadfast and self controlled with our focus solely on Jesus. When we live in the flesh, we are only concerned about ourself, we look for instant satisfaction, we are greedy, and gluttonous.
Does this mean that you can't ever enjoy another piece of pie? No way!
Refraining from gluttony is not:
-Depriving yourself of any and all food that tastes good
-Only eating what you absolutely need to survive
-Eating to be skinny (different than eating to be healthy)
-Feeling guilty when you are hungry or even starving
-Not planning any meals for yourself and your family
-Refusing to allow yourself to think about food at all
Gluttony is:
-Having a second piece of pie, even though you are completely full and satisfied
-Emotional eating. Drowning your sorrows in food, instead of taking those feelings to Jesus
-Eating your food very fast, to the point that you don't hardly taste a bite.
-Not being able to go one day without a certain food or beverage (coffee).
-Using food as a reward or a punishment. This sends the wrong message about food and most often leads to overconsumption.
-Eating something that is harmful to your body, that your body is allergic to, or has an intolerance of. Even if you eat small amounts of something that your body doesn't agree with, it can still be an over-consumption based on the way your body reacts to that food. Overconsumption looks different for every person.
-Routinely choosing food strictly based on taste, rather than on nutritional content. There is a fine line between indulgence and moderation.
-Being irresponsible with the food, drink, & wealth that you have.
If you struggle with gluttony:
-Go to The Lord before you eat anything. Ask Him to give you a sound mind and a spirit of self control.
-Stay away from the TV, your IPhone, computer, tablet, and any form of social media/ brain stimulus. Let your brain register what you are eating. Overconsumption happens when we are distracted. In order to have a sound mind, you have to be present.
-If eating too fast is a problem for you, count your chews. Make sure you chew 20 times for each bite, smell each bite, really look at each bite before taking it, and set your fork down between each bite.
-Have a good support system. If you struggle with gluttony, find friends and family that will help to keep you accountable. Set boundaries and goals around gluttony and share them.
-Change your lifestyle. So many people tell me that food, namely unhealthy food, plays a major roll in their social life. If your friends are inviting you to come along for ice cream every morning, and for a Big Mac every afternoon, it's time to make some changes. You can suggest other outings that don't involve food, or you can seek out friends that will do social things that don't solely revolve around unhealthy foods. This is a really sensitive (and hard) issue, but don't expect your gluttonous behavior to change if your lifestyle doesn't change first.
-Know your triggers. Whether you are an emotional eater or not, we all have triggers that will lead to gluttonous behavior. For some, it is specific foods that lead to over eating and break down in self control. For others, it is specific emotions that lead to lack of self control with whatever food happens to be around. No matter which category you fall into, knowing your triggers is the first step towards self control.
-Stay away from any type of diet that encourages reward meals, or cheat days. This almost always leads to both overindulgence and overconsumption.
-Try fasting. You can do a complete fast of just water for a day, or you can do a fast of one specific item. For instance, you can fast chocolate or coffee for 30 days. If you know that you have a problem with a certain food, a fast is a great way to get your eyes back on Jesus.
Gluttony is a sin. Period. It's also a really hard issue to define. If something ruffled your feathers in this post, take it to God. See what he has to say.
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires," Romans 13:14
