Gluttony- The Sin No One Wants to Talk About

We live in an addictive society.

Advertising, social media, influencer culture- it’s a breeding ground for addiction. We are told to want “more, more, more”. We’re given the steps of how to get it, the links to get it and the credit cards to get it with. We’re open to anything we want, whenever we want. We can get food & alcohol delivered at all hours. We have an obscene amount of porn to consume with the touch of a button. We have unlimited content to consume and no one to tell us not to because we’re all trying to get ahead using the resources we’ve been given and that breeds more. It’s all too much but there’s unfortunately no going back. We’re stuck with what we’ve created. All we can do is work individually to break our own bad habits and hope that as a collective we can support one another through healing to get to a better place.

The specific addiction I want to talk about today is food. I know this isn’t popular but our society has a big problem with gluttony. It’s a problem I’ve been a part of and regularly partake in. We have an addiction to food and we have unhealthy relationships with food causing us to become addicted to eating the wrong foods, foods in ridiculous quantities, eating food far too often or even on the other side of the scale- we can become obsessed with counting calories or not eating enough. Satan really has the ability to turn anything into an addiction- also known as an idol.

Something I don’t think we talk about enough is the social pressure that comes with food, especially within the church. We sit through sermons telling us not to drink because we could become drunk. We talk about sexual immorality and fleeing from sinful nature. But then we head on over to lunch and we stuff ourselves. We are gluttonous and don’t think twice about it. Now everyone has their sins and issues and no one can point fingers. But why if we’re trying to lives that glorify God do we not acknowledge this particular issue?

2 Peter 3:14 says:

“So then dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him.”

Peter is talking about Jesus coming back and how it could be any day. He’s talking to those who are wondering how to live and He’s reminding them to always be doing their best to serve God with their lives because He could come back any day and so we shouldn’t be putting off living for Christ because it’s only through God’s mercy that we’re even still here.

When I read this I thought about the areas of my life that I’m not honoring God and small areas that actually do make a big impact, even if they’re not considered “the bad sins”- which that’s a topic for another day. One of the areas that kept coming up for me in my mind is food. Food is so very idolized in our society, everything revolves around meals. Now this is a tricky area because we obviously need food to sustain us, but how many of us are putting it above God?

Let me word it this way:

• When you’re sad, do you pray or do you think about what you could eat to make yourself feel better?

• When you’re upset, do you ask God for patience & strength or do you think about what food you want to eat?

• When you are bored do you spend time with God or do you resort to eating?

• Are you constantly thinking about your next meal or looking for food to meet your cravings?

• Are you eating even when you’re not hungry?

• Are you eating way more than you need even after you’re satisfied just because it’s there?

• Do you often find yourself choosing the not-so-healthy foods over healthier ones simply because you feel like you can’t live without them?

• Do you find yourself stuffing yourself and eating everything in sight?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you may struggle with gluttony. Now I’m not going to go into too much about how to combat this, it’s something I’m going to talk about on the podcast next week as I give tips on how to care for your body wholly, but I do want to share some scripture about this issue and give you a few things to think about as you start to examine how you interact with what I call “food culture”.

This is talked about several times in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says:

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 says:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

We need to make it a priority to honor God with our bodies and we cannot do that if we’re not taking care of the bodies He has given us. This means giving them proper nutrients, moving them enough and saying no to things that aren’t going to help us.

Now I’m not saying that you can’t have a treat and enjoy foods that you like- you can live in moderation. But we really have to look at our hearts and where our mind is in relation to food.

Galatians 5:22-23 makes it clear that saying no and having self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. We have a responsibility to ask the Holy Spirit for discernment and to make choices that will be honoring to God and when it comes to food, that also means choices that will honor our bodies.

I shared on the podcast this week my journey with binging and gluttony and something that I want to reiterate- especially for those who go to church and love to participate in all of the functions that around food- is that if someone says “no”, don’t press it. You have no idea what they’re battling and going through. Even a little bit might be too much. If they say no to your casserole or to seconds or to your cake or pie, don’t take offense. Nobody has to eat anything. This starts with not shaming kids for not finishing their plates when they’re full and listening to their body’s cues. This starts with being a good example of taking what you need and then going back if you need more. It starts with being intentional about how you spend your time. I think that food and fellowship is a huge part of community and I think God loves when we gather together, but food, more specifically foods that are sweet or fattening do not always have to be necessary to have a good time. Just like how we all agree that you shouldn’t need alcohol to have a good time, you shouldn’t need something sweet to have a good time.

I encourage you to evaluate how you view the time you spend with those around you and how you interact in relationship to food when it comes to others. Are you overeating or partaking when you don’t really want/need to simply because of social pressure? Are you being hospitable and offering up a variety of options for those on different health journeys? (This podcast is AWESOME for that.) Or maybe you’re the one taunting or offering up another piece when you know someone wants or needs to be done or not partake and maybe you need to figure out other things to talk about instead of keeping the conversation about food.

This post is in no way to shame anyone but rather get you thinking. I know I’ve fallen on all sides of this equation and it’s something I’m actively working on. Not just because I want to be healthier but because I want to honor God with my body, my relationships and how I may be causing others to stumble.

If you struggle with this I encourage you to turn to the Bible and to prayer.

Psalm 37:4 -

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will grant you the desires of your heart.”

Meaning that God will change your heart to align with His desires for your life and you will be fulfilled through Him. You won’t NEED certain foods to fulfill you because He’s already got you.

Romans 12:1 -

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Present your body to God and ask Him to sustain you, to give you the strength and the courage to be different and to follow His path for your body. Offer yourself up as a sacrifice and be obedient to what God calls you to do.

Proverbs 23:20-21 -

“Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.”

Be aware of who you surround yourself with. You will be influenced by the people you spend time with. Now this is hard in a church environment because you want to be in a church family but it’s hard when this is such a prevalent issue. Hold your brothers and sisters accountable when God gives you permission but I think the best thing you can do is lead by example. Don’t load up your plate or multiple plates. Be wise and choose what you actually want and be intentional with portions at the potluck. Bring something a bit healthier to the table. Lead by example, planting that seed and let God work on the hearts of those around you.

I encourage you to listen in this upcoming week as I talk about the practical ways that you can take care of your body wholly and I challenge you to ask God where you can improve in this area of your life to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to Him.

xoxo - Ry