Gluttony is the 6th deadly sin. Gluttony is an inordinate and immoderate appetite for eating and drinking. It is to indulge ourselves in excessive ways.
We all have a hole in our heart that is a God sized hole. We try to fill it with many things, but none are able to fill it. There is a reason certain foods are called “comfort food.” We use these foods to try to bring us comfort. But when we over-indulge with food, it may satisfy while going down, but it will leave us with a less than satisfying feeling later on.
I think about King David in Psalm 121:1 where he asks the question: “where does my help come from?” His answer was: “My help comes from the Lord.” While we may seek help and comfort in many different things, God is truly our comfort and the one who fills the holes in our hearts.
We are called to live a balanced life. The virtue which stands opposite gluttony is temperance. Moderation in all things. But we live life in extremes. Gluttony can be gorging ourselves. It can be depriving ourselves. Gluttony is too much. It is also too little. In other words gluttony can be eating too much. It can also take the form of extreme dieting.
We see the extremes play out in our daily life. We are busy at work with no time to eat. So all day long we starve ourselves. Our work is out of balance with our rest. Then we come home at night, open the fridge, and gorge ourselves upon the food we find. We stay up late depriving ourselves of sleep. Then we find ourselves hurried the next morning to repeat our day of extremes. This is not healthy or godly. We suffer as a result along with the people around us.
We are told that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are to be stewards of our flesh. But while we live in a culture of extremes it becomes very easy to neglect our health. We bounce back and forth from the extremes of depriving ourselves to over-indulging ourselves. How do we balance it all? How do we quiet the cravings that call out for us? How do we practice moderation in all things?
Ephesians 5:15–21 offers some great insight:
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Balance in life is found by taking God to the extreme. He says, “do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.” This is not about reading the Bible more or going to church more. It is about making God a part of the decisions we make. It’s not with just some decisions, but every decision! It is considering what God has to say about what we eat, what we wear, and when we sleep. Every thought is held captive to him. You might be surprised to discover what God has to say about these things.
Are we willing to submit our decisions in life to his lordship? Overcoming gluttony starts with finding our greatest pleasure in the Lord. It will not happen by trying to muster more will-power, but with a greater reliance on God’s power. Listen to what the Psalmist writes:
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 (ESV)
When we discover the pleasure found in Jesus, our other desires begin to melt away. Gluttony is our attempt to fill the emptiness. Let’s fill that emptiness with Jesus!
As a final thought, take a few minutes and consider: “how will you this week taste and see the Lord is good?” Then share in the comments how you find pleasure in Jesus.
Mary Spiegel says
What about excessive exercise and shopping and exercising?
Phil says
Those things could definitely be looked at as a broader interpretation of what gluttony is.