Gluttony - The "socially acceptable" sin?

By Jeff Consiglio

"There are seven deadly sins - and two of them deal with food." - C.S. Lewis  

Obesity is an epidemic in most of our civilized world today. As Christians we are called to be "in the world - not of the world," but it is painfully obvious that the Church is not immune from this self-inflicted plague.

In truth, obesity is merely a symptom of a much deeper issue - an issue of sin - a sin called gluttony.

And please don't give me that tired "victim mentality" excuse about thyroid-conditions or hormonal-imbalances being the root cause. Very little obesity is legitimately attributable to medical issues.

The bottom line is that most obesity is a direct result of one thing and one thing only - eating too much!

Pointing out this self-evident truth is going to make some people mad - and that's ok. My job isn't to win popularity contests. I'm not here to tell you what you want to hear, coddle you or to help you get in touch with "your inner child".  Instead I'm here to tell you what you NEED to hear so that you can face the truth, repent of your sin, and live your life in good health, able to fulfill God's purpose for your life.

And if that's not what you're looking for then I suggest you stop reading now.... I will do the job God has given me regardless of who takes offense.

Jeff's Job Description - To give Christians a swift kick in their hind parts, in the areas of health, fitness and weight loss.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.
And many believers need to be kicked in their hind parts with the following factŠ

Gluttony has become the "socially acceptable" sin within much of today's Church. It seems that anytime Christians get together for "fellowship" it almost always revolves around food. You know the drill. You and some folks from Church set a time and place and everyone "brings a dish". Or perhaps you all go out for a nice lunch after Church at a local restaurant. The outcome is too predictable - everyone ends up eating way too much food - most of which is fattening and unhealthy.

And of course you can't skip dessert! No matter how stuffed you may feel... there's always room for dessert, isn't there? Or is there?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's".

As Christians we should be fitter, more energetic and all around healthier than non-believers. We should be setting standards of excellence in all areas of life, including the area of our physical health.

So why aren't we?
It seems we are often quick to condemn others for the "really big sins" like sexual sins, theft, or murder. But we are often unable or unwilling to acknowledge our own sin - the sin of abusing the physical body God has given us.

We condemn the adulterer but we don't exercise. We chastise our child for using a curse word while we sit on our butts channel surfing and snacking on junk foods. We gossip about our neighbor, who got a DWI last week, while bellying up to an all-you-can-eat buffet and gorging ourselves like hogs so we can "get our money's worth".

We're often quick to judge others for "big sins" while glossing over our own sin of gluttony. And as a result of this steady diet of spiritual hypocrisy, the "Body of Christ" has become flabby, sick and tired - an abomination in the eyes of God.

Is there really room for Jesus to dwell in you if he's competing for space with the four plates of food you just inhaled at the local Chinese buffet?

Tell me... whatever happened to good old fashion self discipline and moderation?

Philippians 4:5 - "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand".

It's interesting to note that the people who write fad diet books understand human psychology enough to know that advocating dietary self-discipline is NOT a good way to sell a ton of books. Self-discipline and moderation are unpopular philosophies in today's hedonistic culture that seeks pleasure and instant gratification above most everything else. Savvy diet book authors know the secret to writing a best selling diet book is to cater to those gluttonous desires.

How to write a best selling diet book that will make you rich

Cater to the gluttonous nature by telling people what they want to hear... let them eat "all they want" of certain foods as long as they totally avoid other foods. You'll also want to make sure to use a lot of catchy phrases on the cover of your book. Words and phrases such as "easy" - "lose 100 pounds overnight" and "no effort required" are sure to catch the eye of any undisciplined person who happens within 50 feet of your book!

People love diets that don't require restraint in the amount of food eaten. This is diet paradise to an undisciplined person. I don't mean to sound cynical about all this; but I am.

It amazes me what the general public latches onto. So many people desperately gravitate toward what seems to be "easy solutions" that negate the need for any degree of self-discipline. And that includes too many Christians.

Which brings me to my definition of self-discipline as it applies to the Body of Christ: "The ability to base your life decisions on core Biblical truth and your Spirit led intellectual conclusions; continually resisting the temptation to be led astray by your feelings, wants, and desires."

This means you must set objective standards regarding your diet and exercise habits - framed by what God's Word says - not by how you "feel".

God's Word is clear about the need to take care of our physical body. Physical health and spiritual health are very much intertwined with each other. What you accomplish spiritually will be largely contingent upon your physical health. In other words, it's real tough to do all God has called you to do in a fat, sick and tired body!

Proverbs 23:21 - "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty"

I will conclude with a challenge.
I challenge you to take your physical health to a whole new level by applying Holy Spirit powered self-discipline and moderation in your exercise and dietary habits. I challenge you to heed the advice of Paul who wrote:

1 Corinthians 9:27 - "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? I pray that you are.

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