Gluttony vs. Temperance
If you are able to see the picture, it is a picture of a large snake that swallowed an alligator and then, because its eyes were literally bigger than its stomach, virtually exploded. This picture may be a fake but it speaks volumes about the subject of gluttony.
Overeating is clearly a problem in our society. Did you know that 40% of all people say their greatest fear is becoming fat and overweight? It’s not that hard to imagine when you consider that the avg. person will spend some 20,000 hours feeding their face from the ages 20 to 50.
The word given to gluttony literally means, “To be mastered by your appetites." It is such a prevalent problem we even have a contest called: The International Federation of Competitive Eating
In a society in which cookbooks outsell the Bible 10 to 1 (Never a more fitting example of the saying “sad but true.”), food and dieting has become a god that rules the masses with an iron spatula.
The teacher knew there was a shortfall in intelligence after she asked the class to name the (4) major food groups. Suzie, shot up her hand and quickly reeled them off, "Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Pizza Hut."
America is the fattest nation in the world with 3 out of 4 Americans considered overweight. That’s 75% of us that are overweight and out of shape. Diabetes has become the fastest growing disease in America. One million people will succumb to food related diseases this year. According to the American Cancer Association a person who is overweight is just as likely to have cancer as a person who smokes.
Not all overweight people are gluttons. There are medical reasons for excessive weight. Many people do not usually consider it a bad sin. After all, it’s not like its pride, murder or adultery. What’s the worst that could happen? A little rounder, a little softer, a little more huggable, it’s a cute sin right? Wrong! Consider this stark scripture…
Proverbs 23:2
…and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.
Gluttony has a lot in common with lust in that both of them are natural, legitimate God-given appetites but somewhere along the way they wander beyond healthy boundaries and people who are indulging in them outside of God’s prescription find themselves out of control and out of bounds.
You might say, “What about this scripture…Paul tells us to eat and drink and be merry…”
1 Corinthians 15:32
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
But Paul is speaking of the resurrection. He is saying that if we have no hope of the resurrection, then yes, eat all you want. One thing about Christians is we love to eat. But the Bible says that…
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
But before we get too angry or down on ourselves understand that eating is the first and most essential action in life. The crying baby craves mama’s milk. We grow and get told by our aunt “Look how big you’re getting.” A couple years later moms friend compliments how good of an eater you are. Not to mention the force fed meals and snacks at grandma’s house every time you visit. We spend years trying to get our kids to eat and then beg them to stop eating so much when they become teenagers.
This is one deadly spiritual sin that is very physically related. There is a spiritual realm of this sin we will look at later on, but of all the seven this one has its roots, stem and leaves in the physical realm.
God does not want us to eat only bread and drink only water. If that is all you have then rejoice. But, like any Father, He wants to give His best to His children…that is, those who can handle His best and have proven they can appreciate His best.
One day, a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to
the country so he could have his son see how poor
country people were. They stayed one day and one night
at the farm of a very humble farm family.
When they got back home the father asked the son, "What
did you think of the trip"? The son replied, "Very nice Dad."
Dad said, "Did you notice how poor they were?" "Yes".
"So, what did you learn from this trip?"
"I've learned that we have one dog in the house, and they
had four. We have a fountain and imported lamps in our
garden, they have a stream with no end and the stars in
the sky. Our garden goes to the edge of our property, they
have the entire horizon as their back yard."
At the end of the son's reply the father was speechless
and then his son said, "Thank you Dad, for showing me
how poor we really are."
We read about the table of the Lord, and the banquet that awaits us and we are reminded that God desires to give us the best food now and in eternity.
Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.
Gluttony, like the any other sin or behavior, is a heart issue…it’s a master issue. Do you control it or does it control you? Does it come before Jesus? We need a different attitude from the one that says, “I’ve got to get skinny to fit in my bikini so the guys will look at me.” What about that Sunday dress? Do look nice to honor the Lord or to be noticed? Our attitude towards looking good should be for reason that Jesus saved me, my body belongs to Him, He loves me and redeemed me and as a result, I want to take care of it.
1 Corinthians 6:12
"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.
That said, there are many thin people with the sin of gluttony. The sin of gluttony usually pertains to food; after all, we need to eat. The problem comes when it becomes an obsession. Some people plan their whole day around when and what their going to eat.
Gluttony is any appetite out of control. And anything out of control is out of balance and God is a God of order. Being out of balance is a sign that an area of your life is under the influence of the enemy. Gluttony is disguised by the word addiction. Addiction leads to desolation…
Proverbs 23:21
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Gluttony is mostly related to how we eat. Some eat until their stuffed, others because bored, others as a crutch or when depressed. What about chocolate? Oh baby, surely chocolate is not a sin…
A Man who find a genie bottle and is granted 3 wishes – he wishes for a billion dollars in a Swiss bank account, a Ferrari, and to be irresistible to women – and genie confirms his 3rd wish and turns him into a box of chocolates.
These people are relying on the snacks instead of the Savior. Food instead of the Father. Now before we talk about the spiritual aspect of this sin lets have some real physical guidelines to gluttony…
1. Gorging ourselves----buffet are the worst. “We have to get our money’s worth.”
2. Excessive snacking---couple crackers to hold off dinner, no problem. But several trips to the cupboard is a red flag.
3. Anticipating eating with a preoccupied, eager longing.---I.E. when it masters your thoughts.
4. Eating costly foods/delicacies.---regularly eating king crab legs would be mine.
5. Being consumed with dieting.--- there are thin gluttons,
Corinthians 6:13
"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food
Philippians 3:19
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things
The sin of gluttony not only has physical effects, but like all sin, it affects the spiritual relationship you have with God. Anything that comes between you and the Lord is a serious sin. Even love for our kids or doing ministry.
======================================================
The problem with life is there is no pause button. And the world offers endless choices for dealing with problems. The problem with these choices of dealing with life is that they do not usually lead to glorifying God. God uses pain to bring glory, but the devil use glory to bring pain. The perceived glory of riches or power even good tasty food, only ends up bringing pain. Look what the richest man in the world had to say…
Ecclesiastes 2:10
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Before we move on to gluttony’s counter punch, virtue, lets look at three forms of gluttony that may not initially come to your mind. These are the spiritual aspects of this sin…
1) Wanting more pleasure from something then it was originally designed for.
Exodus 16:16, 20
“This is what the Lord has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take only enough according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent…..(vs. 20) but they did not listen to Moses and some left part of it until the morning and it bred worms and became foul and Moses was angry with them.”
Everything that God makes/made is perfect, good and pleasing. (Rom. 12:2). Every good and perfect gift comes from above…(James 1:17)
We see this in sex, even in married couples. God intended it for pleasure/intimacy/procreation and we demand it for selfish/lustful satisfaction. Remember guys, pornography tells lies about women and the truth about men.
2) Wanting it exactly our way---delicacy
In “The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis describes delicacy as, “a desire to have things exactly our way”.
Amos 6:5
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Read what God does when He gives us over to our gluttony...
Numbers 11:18-20
“So say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, ‘Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well off in Egypt. Therefore the Lord will give you meat and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the lord who is among you and have wept before Him saying ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt
It is okay to like things a certain way, but when we carry it to the extreme and there is no flexibility, we draw ever closer to the sin of Gluttony.
3. Excessive desire for other people’s time or presence.
In some dating relationships, one person desires the other’s company constantly, to the point that the other can barely hold down a job or continue in school. The person becomes obsessed with their partner. This can happen even in marriage because gluttony is generally a sin of the flesh. If we consume too much food or drink, our bodies will usually let us know, either by gaining weight or illness. If we are too fussy about things (wanting things a certain way), people will tell us to “just do it yourself.” And if we demand too much from people, they will flee from us and we will be alone more often. Spiritually speaking, gluttony could affect our fellowship with others as well as with God.
======================================================
Temperance
The opposite of gluttony is temperance. Temperance accepts the natural limits of pleasures and preserves this natural balance. The chief error about gluttony is to think it only pertains to food.
Corinthians 9:27
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Temperance, a cardinal virtue, is from "temperantia," which means "moderation or self-control". Traditionally, temperance has been defined as governing natural appetites within the bounds of reason.
No virtue can be well practiced if one has no control over the self.
For many, the best “moderation” is abstinence. Since gluttony is a spiritual sin, the Holy Spirit offers us some help…
1. Self control. The 9th fruit of the Spirit. self control in relationships, ministries, personal habits.
2. The grace/power to exhibit self control--It may be a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but so is love and gentleness, kindness…etc. just because it’s a fruit doesn’t make it automatic, so he gives us the grace to exercise it.
3. Knowledge and wisdom to make balanced Godly choices.-- The extremist is a glutton. So is the perfectionist.
4. Conviction to stay the course.
5. Can shake up our lives when complacency seeps in.
6. Can lead us to the throne when we falter.
John 6:27
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
Be Blessed
If you are able to see the picture, it is a picture of a large snake that swallowed an alligator and then, because its eyes were literally bigger than its stomach, virtually exploded. This picture may be a fake but it speaks volumes about the subject of gluttony.
Overeating is clearly a problem in our society. Did you know that 40% of all people say their greatest fear is becoming fat and overweight? It’s not that hard to imagine when you consider that the avg. person will spend some 20,000 hours feeding their face from the ages 20 to 50.
The word given to gluttony literally means, “To be mastered by your appetites." It is such a prevalent problem we even have a contest called: The International Federation of Competitive Eating
In a society in which cookbooks outsell the Bible 10 to 1 (Never a more fitting example of the saying “sad but true.”), food and dieting has become a god that rules the masses with an iron spatula.
The teacher knew there was a shortfall in intelligence after she asked the class to name the (4) major food groups. Suzie, shot up her hand and quickly reeled them off, "Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Pizza Hut."
America is the fattest nation in the world with 3 out of 4 Americans considered overweight. That’s 75% of us that are overweight and out of shape. Diabetes has become the fastest growing disease in America. One million people will succumb to food related diseases this year. According to the American Cancer Association a person who is overweight is just as likely to have cancer as a person who smokes.
Not all overweight people are gluttons. There are medical reasons for excessive weight. Many people do not usually consider it a bad sin. After all, it’s not like its pride, murder or adultery. What’s the worst that could happen? A little rounder, a little softer, a little more huggable, it’s a cute sin right? Wrong! Consider this stark scripture…
Proverbs 23:2
…and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.
Gluttony has a lot in common with lust in that both of them are natural, legitimate God-given appetites but somewhere along the way they wander beyond healthy boundaries and people who are indulging in them outside of God’s prescription find themselves out of control and out of bounds.
You might say, “What about this scripture…Paul tells us to eat and drink and be merry…”
1 Corinthians 15:32
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
But Paul is speaking of the resurrection. He is saying that if we have no hope of the resurrection, then yes, eat all you want. One thing about Christians is we love to eat. But the Bible says that…
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
But before we get too angry or down on ourselves understand that eating is the first and most essential action in life. The crying baby craves mama’s milk. We grow and get told by our aunt “Look how big you’re getting.” A couple years later moms friend compliments how good of an eater you are. Not to mention the force fed meals and snacks at grandma’s house every time you visit. We spend years trying to get our kids to eat and then beg them to stop eating so much when they become teenagers.
This is one deadly spiritual sin that is very physically related. There is a spiritual realm of this sin we will look at later on, but of all the seven this one has its roots, stem and leaves in the physical realm.
God does not want us to eat only bread and drink only water. If that is all you have then rejoice. But, like any Father, He wants to give His best to His children…that is, those who can handle His best and have proven they can appreciate His best.
One day, a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to
the country so he could have his son see how poor
country people were. They stayed one day and one night
at the farm of a very humble farm family.
When they got back home the father asked the son, "What
did you think of the trip"? The son replied, "Very nice Dad."
Dad said, "Did you notice how poor they were?" "Yes".
"So, what did you learn from this trip?"
"I've learned that we have one dog in the house, and they
had four. We have a fountain and imported lamps in our
garden, they have a stream with no end and the stars in
the sky. Our garden goes to the edge of our property, they
have the entire horizon as their back yard."
At the end of the son's reply the father was speechless
and then his son said, "Thank you Dad, for showing me
how poor we really are."
We read about the table of the Lord, and the banquet that awaits us and we are reminded that God desires to give us the best food now and in eternity.
Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.
Gluttony, like the any other sin or behavior, is a heart issue…it’s a master issue. Do you control it or does it control you? Does it come before Jesus? We need a different attitude from the one that says, “I’ve got to get skinny to fit in my bikini so the guys will look at me.” What about that Sunday dress? Do look nice to honor the Lord or to be noticed? Our attitude towards looking good should be for reason that Jesus saved me, my body belongs to Him, He loves me and redeemed me and as a result, I want to take care of it.
1 Corinthians 6:12
"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.
That said, there are many thin people with the sin of gluttony. The sin of gluttony usually pertains to food; after all, we need to eat. The problem comes when it becomes an obsession. Some people plan their whole day around when and what their going to eat.
Gluttony is any appetite out of control. And anything out of control is out of balance and God is a God of order. Being out of balance is a sign that an area of your life is under the influence of the enemy. Gluttony is disguised by the word addiction. Addiction leads to desolation…
Proverbs 23:21
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Gluttony is mostly related to how we eat. Some eat until their stuffed, others because bored, others as a crutch or when depressed. What about chocolate? Oh baby, surely chocolate is not a sin…
A Man who find a genie bottle and is granted 3 wishes – he wishes for a billion dollars in a Swiss bank account, a Ferrari, and to be irresistible to women – and genie confirms his 3rd wish and turns him into a box of chocolates.
These people are relying on the snacks instead of the Savior. Food instead of the Father. Now before we talk about the spiritual aspect of this sin lets have some real physical guidelines to gluttony…
1. Gorging ourselves----buffet are the worst. “We have to get our money’s worth.”
2. Excessive snacking---couple crackers to hold off dinner, no problem. But several trips to the cupboard is a red flag.
3. Anticipating eating with a preoccupied, eager longing.---I.E. when it masters your thoughts.
4. Eating costly foods/delicacies.---regularly eating king crab legs would be mine.
5. Being consumed with dieting.--- there are thin gluttons,
Corinthians 6:13
"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food
Philippians 3:19
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things
The sin of gluttony not only has physical effects, but like all sin, it affects the spiritual relationship you have with God. Anything that comes between you and the Lord is a serious sin. Even love for our kids or doing ministry.
======================================================
The problem with life is there is no pause button. And the world offers endless choices for dealing with problems. The problem with these choices of dealing with life is that they do not usually lead to glorifying God. God uses pain to bring glory, but the devil use glory to bring pain. The perceived glory of riches or power even good tasty food, only ends up bringing pain. Look what the richest man in the world had to say…
Ecclesiastes 2:10
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Before we move on to gluttony’s counter punch, virtue, lets look at three forms of gluttony that may not initially come to your mind. These are the spiritual aspects of this sin…
1) Wanting more pleasure from something then it was originally designed for.
Exodus 16:16, 20
“This is what the Lord has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take only enough according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent…..(vs. 20) but they did not listen to Moses and some left part of it until the morning and it bred worms and became foul and Moses was angry with them.”
Everything that God makes/made is perfect, good and pleasing. (Rom. 12:2). Every good and perfect gift comes from above…(James 1:17)
We see this in sex, even in married couples. God intended it for pleasure/intimacy/procreation and we demand it for selfish/lustful satisfaction. Remember guys, pornography tells lies about women and the truth about men.
2) Wanting it exactly our way---delicacy
In “The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis describes delicacy as, “a desire to have things exactly our way”.
Amos 6:5
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Read what God does when He gives us over to our gluttony...
Numbers 11:18-20
“So say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, ‘Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well off in Egypt. Therefore the Lord will give you meat and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the lord who is among you and have wept before Him saying ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt
It is okay to like things a certain way, but when we carry it to the extreme and there is no flexibility, we draw ever closer to the sin of Gluttony.
3. Excessive desire for other people’s time or presence.
In some dating relationships, one person desires the other’s company constantly, to the point that the other can barely hold down a job or continue in school. The person becomes obsessed with their partner. This can happen even in marriage because gluttony is generally a sin of the flesh. If we consume too much food or drink, our bodies will usually let us know, either by gaining weight or illness. If we are too fussy about things (wanting things a certain way), people will tell us to “just do it yourself.” And if we demand too much from people, they will flee from us and we will be alone more often. Spiritually speaking, gluttony could affect our fellowship with others as well as with God.
======================================================
Temperance
The opposite of gluttony is temperance. Temperance accepts the natural limits of pleasures and preserves this natural balance. The chief error about gluttony is to think it only pertains to food.
Corinthians 9:27
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Temperance, a cardinal virtue, is from "temperantia," which means "moderation or self-control". Traditionally, temperance has been defined as governing natural appetites within the bounds of reason.
No virtue can be well practiced if one has no control over the self.
For many, the best “moderation” is abstinence. Since gluttony is a spiritual sin, the Holy Spirit offers us some help…
1. Self control. The 9th fruit of the Spirit. self control in relationships, ministries, personal habits.
2. The grace/power to exhibit self control--It may be a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but so is love and gentleness, kindness…etc. just because it’s a fruit doesn’t make it automatic, so he gives us the grace to exercise it.
3. Knowledge and wisdom to make balanced Godly choices.-- The extremist is a glutton. So is the perfectionist.
4. Conviction to stay the course.
5. Can shake up our lives when complacency seeps in.
6. Can lead us to the throne when we falter.
John 6:27
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
Be Blessed