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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT...
GLUTTONY?
by Betty Miller
Song of Solomon
2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the
vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search
of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and
spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the
grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the
whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose
his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or
allow that we might think is little or insignificant can also be
disastrous for us.
The
"little fox" that I want to address in this article is one that can
cause many problems in our lives if indulged in for a long period of
time. It is an excess that can cause many maladies. It is over-eating or
what the Bible calls gluttony. The over-use of the fork has been the
death of many, especially in our country where there is such an
abundance of all kinds of food. Also, we are all especially tempted to
overeat during the holiday season since partaking of food is a big part
of our celebrations. Because we all have to eat every day this little
fox can slip in easily.
Proverbs
23:19-21 says "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and
guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous
eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to
poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags".
With so much
emphasis on proper eating and physical exercise here in America, it has
caused many to examine their lifestyles. A lot of people have now become
out of balance by putting too much emphasis on the physical man while
neglecting the spiritual man. The other extreme is to be so
spiritually-minded that we neglect our bodies by overeating or lack of
exercise. The Lord desires order in this area, as our physical
condition, if it is not properly cared for, affects our spiritual
condition. We cannot serve the Lord to the fullest if our bodies are run
down and tired and not functioning as God designed them to function. The
medical world is now recognizing that gluttony is one of the major
causes of many of our modern day illnesses. Moderation should be our
guide.
Philippians
4:5, "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand".
As
Christians we are to realize the emphasis is to be put upon the
spiritual man; however, just because we have an understanding of our
spiritual position in Christ does not mean we can break His physical
laws of health and not suffer the consequences. The spiritual man should
always be given top priority as it needs to be in ascendancy. Its
influence over the physical man is greater than the physical man's
influence over it. We need proper balance between neglecting our bodies
and giving them too much attention.
"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is
profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and
of that which is to come" (I Timothy 4:8).
It is easy to
recognize that one of the greatest sins in the United States is
gluttony. Food has become the god of millions. Jesus has never been made
"Lord of the Fork." The Word of God has much to say about man's eating
habits. Many sicknesses that are plaguing mankind stem directly from
unhealthy eating habits. How should Christians eat? Are all the
so-called health foods the answer to our diet problem? The Word of God
not only addresses what is healthy for us to eat, but also the spiritual
problems we have in this life. Since the Lord created the human body, He
certainly knows what is best for us to eat.
So many have been
eating according to the tradition of men instead of seeing what God's
Word says about this subject. If we do not eat by the Word of God, our
eating habits will be dictated by the patterns of what we have been
exposed to in our lifetimes. I will not address the kinds of food we
should eat here other than to say that natural foods that are "living
foods" (fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, the "clean" meats
listed in the Bible (Lev. 11), and dairy products) are the best for us.
The "dead foods" or "junk food" are those that are highly refined and
processed and have little nourishment in them with a high content of
sugar and salt.
Daniel and his
companions proved the wisdom of eating properly when they refused to eat
the King's meat and instead ask for pulse (vegetables and grains) and
water to drink for ten days. After that period of time they appeared
more healthy than the other servants of the King.
Daniel
1:12-17, "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them
give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances
be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat
of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy
servants. 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten
days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer
and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of
the king's meat 16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and
the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17 As for these
four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and
wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams".
If we are overweight
it came about not suddenly, but rather "little by little". This "little
fox" begins adding the pounds before we realize it. Each day we over
indulge until we become fat. (I realize some people do have overweight
problems that stem from hereditary problems however, these can be
overcome too, with help from the Lord.) We can tackle this problem with
the Lord's help and He will give us the power to trim down. As we seek
the Lord and ask for His help in this area, He will not fail us. He will
give us the strength to overcome gluttony or other bad eating habits.
Here are
some helps to overcoming weight problems which usually come about
through lack of knowledge or lack of discipline or lust for food:
(1). First, repent
for yielding to the temptation of lust for food. (Phil 3:19,
"Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory
is in their shame, who mind earthly things".)
(2). Then, submit
to God and ask Him for the power to overcome gluttony through His Holy
Spirit and resist the devil through prayer and obedience to God.
(James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you".)
(3.) Next, ask for
God's plan for your weight loss. Allow Him to lead you as to what He
wants you to do. He knows your body and He will direct you as to how
you are to eat. Ask for a desire for healthy foods and ask Him to
remove your cravings for unhealthy foods. (1 John 5:14-15,
"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us:15 And if we know that he
hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we
desired of him".)
(4.) Daily, thank
God for setting you free and do not allow the devil to discourage you
by his condemning whispers to your mind. Sometimes the Lord does a
quick work at other times it may be slower. Don't be discouraged even
if at times it seems slow or you fail occasionally. Remember, this
came "little by little" and it is sometimes more healthy to lose it
"little by little" (Losing as little as 2 lbs. a month amounts to 24
lbs. in a year). In the process you will be developing new habits and
disciplines that will eventually become established eating patterns. (Romans
8:1-4, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit".)
(5.) Add fasting
periodically as the Lord leads. (See the Bible Answers Fasting
Article). Even fasting one meal or one day a week will help in
disciplining your body to be subject to your spirit man. (Matthew
6:17-18, "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy
face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father
which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall
reward thee openly".)
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".
May the Lord bless
you as you seek Him in this area and make Him the "Lord of the Fork" and
overcome this little fox!
This article
was taken from the Overcoming Life Digest (Nov./Dec. 1997
Issue);
click here to view Digest
MAKING JESUS "LORD OF THE FORK"
Proverbs
23:20-21: "Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness
shall clothe a man with rags."
EATING UNTO
THE LORD
One of the greatest
sins in the United States is gluttony. Food has become the god of
millions. Jesus has never been made "Lord of the Fork." The Word of God
has much to say about man's eating habits. Many sicknesses that are
plaguing mankind stem directly from unhealthy eating habits. How should
Christians eat? How much should we eat? Are all the so-called health
foods the answer to our diet problem? Does the Bible address these
questions? Yes, the Word of God has the answer to our questions as to
what is healthy for us to eat and how we are to eat.
Many people's
problem with eating is the problem of overeating. This problem usually
develops by eating that little extra helping of food. This "little fox"
can grow from one of just "one more cookie" or "another bite of candy"
until there is no restraint and then the lust of food rules one's life.
In the above verse gluttony is listed along with drunkenness. Although,
society doesn't look down on overeating that much. The Bible declares
this is a serious sin and warns us to resist yielding to this kind of
appetite. Someone has said that the drug of the yuppies is gourmet food
and fine wines. It is respectable to entertain and have expensive food
served to one's guests. Now God wants us to enjoy the good food He
created for us and there is nothing wrong with cooking and serving
guests in our homes. However, when all of our spare time revolves around
cooking, entertaining and eating rich and expensive food, something is
wrong, especially when God is left out of our lives.
Proverbs 23:1-3: "When thou sittest to eat
with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife
to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of
his dainties: for they are deceitful meat."
With so much emphasis on proper eating and physical exercise here in
America, it has caused many to examine their lifestyles. Many people
have now become unbalanced by putting too much emphasis on the physical
man while neglecting the spiritual man. The Lord desires this area also
to be in balance as our physical condition, if it is not properly cared
for, affects our spiritual condition.
"Putting a knife to
our throats" figuratively speaking is saying "cut the food off at the
throat!" The spiritual man should always be given top priority as its
influence over the physical man is greater than the physical man's
influence over it. "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but
godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that
now is, and of that which is to come" (I Timothy 4:8). We need
proper balance between neglecting our bodies and giving them too much
attention.
God is a good God
and has promised us the blessing of enjoying the good food that He has
created. Psalm 22:26: "The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they
shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever."
It is only when we abuse our bodies through overeating or wrong eating
that is wrong. Some people become very defensive over the issue that we
should bring God to the table. They want to eat as they please, however
as Christians we must bring the Lord into this area of our life as well
as every other area. Remember the first sin in the Bible that led to all
of mankind's downfall was when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate
something they were told not to eat (Genesis 3). This
certainly was a seemingly little thing that caused sin to enter into the
world. The real problem was the disobedience to God. We should ask the
Lord to help us in this area if we are struggling with this problem.
Although I can't address the answer to our eating habits in this article
I will list a few things that we should do that will help us lose weight
and overcome gluttony. One note though, you do not have to be overweight
to commit the sin of gluttony. If you lust after food it is a sin.
(1.) EAT
GOD'S APPROVED FOODS LISTED IN THE BIBLE:
A good guideline
would be to eat "living foods." The natural, living foods are fresh
vegetables, fruits, grains, meats and dairy products. The "dead foods"
are those that are highly refined. They not only are expensive, but
also in most instances do little to nourish. Many people are tired,
run down and sick because a large part of their diets are made up of
dead junk foods. We want to include at least an outline of some of
God's approved foods to help people get started on the road to proper
eating. Although this list is not complete, it does give the basic
foods that the Bible lists as good to eat:
Barley---Ruth 2:23
Bread---Luke 22:19
Butter---Isaiah 7:22
Corn---Ruth 2:14; I Samuel 17:17
Cheese---I Samuel 17:18
Dates---Genesis 3:2
Eggs---Job 6:6
Figs---Numbers 13:23; I Samuel 25:18
Fruits (All)---Genesis 1:29
Herbs (Leafy Plants) and Vegetables---Genesis 1:29
Honey---Deuteronomy 8:8
Meats---(Beef, Fish, Lamb, Poultry, Venison) Deuteronomy 14; Leviticus
11
Milk---Isaiah 7:21-22
Nuts---Genesis 43:11
Olives and Olive Oil---Leviticus 2:4; Deuteronomy 8:8
Salt---Leviticus 2:13
Wheat (Bread, Cereal, Pasta)---Psalm 81:16
(2.) EAT IN MODERATION:
Ask the Lord to help you eat the proper amount of food. Eat
only until full. He will help you. He loves you and cares about you.
Philippians 4:5: "Let your moderation be known unto all men.
The Lord is at hand."
(3.) GET REGULAR MILD EXERCISE:
Walking is an excellent form of exercise.
(4.) FAST PERIODICALLY: Fasting
helps cleanse the body of toxins that can lead to sickness.
As we seek the Lord
in regard to our diets, He will gladly lead us in the right path. We
must not get out of balance in this area and let menus and cooking
absorb an exorbitant amount of time since this would be just as bad as
ignoring diet altogether and eating anything we want. Here is a good
verse to claim as we set our heart to overcome gluttony and the tendency
to allow the enemy to tempt us little by little to fall into the trap of
overeating.
Psalm 141:3-4: "Set a watch, O LORD,
before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 4 Incline not my heart to any
evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and
let me not eat of their dainties"
This article was taken from the
Overcoming Life Digest (July/August 1999 Issue);
click here to view Digest
Betty Miller has
written several books on other topics as well. To view titles or
purchase those books click here:
http://store2.bibleresources.org/
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