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By Mike Chaffin
and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Proverbs 23:2
The church has long considered the fourth deadly act the sin of gluttony. In modern times we might call this unrestraint. Christian author and editor, Chris Donato, explains, “two mistakes accompany most discussions on gluttony. The first is that it only pertains to those with a less than shapely waistline; the second is that it always involves food. In reality, it can apply to toys, television, entertainment, sex, or relationships. It is about an excess of anything.”
Gluttony is dangerous because it shows a lack of self-control. Russian Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov taught about Gluttony: “If you please and pamper your stomach, you will hurl yourself over the precipice of bodily impurity, into the fire of wrath and fury, you will coarsen and darken your mind, and in this way you will ruin your powers of attention and self-control, your sobriety and vigilance.”
Solomon wrote about gluttony on at least two occasions,
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. Proverbs 23:21
Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. Proverbs 28:7
The deadly path of gluttony leads us to believe if we can satiate the appetites of the flesh, we will be happy. While in the moment we may receive some gratification, it never leads to true happiness and joy. It leads us to jump from one fad to another seeking the next best thing when all along the answer to that un-scratchable longing is to joy in the one who saves, Jesus Christ. Our gluttony takes the focus off serving others and puts in on fulfilling our own cravings, both physical and mental. These cravings can cause us to lose focus on our walk with Christ.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to overcome the continual desire to ___eat___ which takes away from my service to you. When I sit at the table help me to remember others less fortunate and not be gluttonous but to share my bounty with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(feel free to replace eat with any overindulgence you’re fighting)
