TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2022, SEVEN DEADLY SINS CONTINUED - GLUTTONY

 TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2022, SEVEN DEADLY SINS CONTINUED - GLUTTONY

Gluttony means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items, particularly as status symbols. 

We don’t talk about gluttony (or we don’t talk about it much).  

Philippians 3:19 “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”

We all know obese people - people who eat to excess.  (Okay, I have to fight that on a daily basis too!!).  

“Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may die”

I think the intent is not necessarily that these people are obese or fat, but that their focus in life is on earthly things.   I also understand there are some obese people because of some inherited traits, and some hormonal imbalance.

“Gluttony is described as excessive eating, drinking, and indulgence, and also covers greed. It is listed in Christian teachings among the “seven deadly sins.”

I can be a glutton (and I’m not very proud of that, and it can cause me trouble).  

Let’s say I’m at a breakfast meeting and there are donuts (and especially apple fritters), and let’s say that the organizer brought in enough donuts (and apple fritters) for everybody to have three items.  So, as the speaker is droning on about some other item (that doesn’t concern me), I get up and fill my coffee cup (and grab a second or a third apple fritter).  I might even wrap one in a napkin for later.  

I can be like this old poem:

“A wonderful bird is the Pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can. 

He can hold in his beak. Enough food for a week!”

I like to think of myself as an “encourager”.  And, I can ‘hide’ gluttony with encouragement!!  

Scenario - a group is having a potluck dinner.  I’ve brought something (maybe my not-quite-famous yet coleslaw).  But (especially for a church potluck), when I go through the line, I ‘have’ to try one scoop of everything.  If I didn’t take a scoop of Luanne casserole she would be mad at me, (well) Helen’s cheesy potatoes are just plain awesome, and Bob spent hours marinating and then grilling his ribs - it would be an insult NOT to take my allotment.  And, going back for a second time through the line (of course, after everybody had been at least once) is just being friendly.  And, as we clean up, Paula says “I’ve got just a few scoops of my peach cobbler left, can you take the rest?”  (And, of course, nice person that I am, I have to help my friend Paula out!! She even gives me the Tupperware containers - which I will return).

So, where is my self-control?  Can I lie and say “I’m on a diet?” 

Proverbs 25:28 “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

I Corinthians 6:19-20  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.  

(So, an obese body doesn’t glorify God?  A person without self-control doesn’t glorify God?)

“However, gluttony is common, serious, and dangerous; costing $147 billion in health care (CDC, 2018). It’s the No. 1 cause of death and disability. Obesity is an American epidemic: about 74% adults are overweight or obese, and sadly many children.”

*****

When I view gluttony as one of the seven sins I see two factors: (1) you are putting something (food, beverage, life, fun) in front of God (but God does like food, beverage, life, and fun), and (2) it is a lack of self-control.

*****

For most of my life (98%) I’ve been overweight.  Sometimes just slightly, and sometimes significantly.  For most adults, an ideal BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range - and I’ve been in the 25.0 to 26.0 range frequently - “just a little heavy”, and at times closer to the 30.0 ratios. 

Last fall I let myself go really heavy.  Normally (whatever is considered “normal”) I’m about 205 pounds. I got up to (at least) 243 pounds.  This morning I’m at 220 pounds - still heavy but definitely down from 243.  (about a 10% loss!!!)

I miss my peanut butter!!!  My cardiologist said “cut out the salt”, I miss my salt.  If I’m going to cut my weight, I need to cut out sweets, I miss my sugar and sweets.  

If controlling gluttony means to be self-controlled, then, I have been a glutton!!!

Love Wins (and overeating/gluttony loses!!!)

Karen

June 7, 2022

(And, someday soon, I’ll allow myself to buy a small jar of peanut butter.  But if it “disappears” too soon, I’ll have to ban it from my cupboard again!!!)