I am back to continue on the issue of overeating. I prefer the word overeat to gluttony. I mentioned the social eating aspect of our culture yesterday. Yes, we eat because we are bored. We eat when we are sad. We also eat when we are happy. When we want to celebrate, guess what? You got it… We eat! When we are grieving we eat. When someone dies food becomes the way we show sorrow and show our support. We have come to expect huge amounts of casseroles, cakes and salads for the occasion. There are good times when we should be eating together such as thanksgiving with the family but we are truly over doing it and supersizing.
I mentioned previously the shortage of scriptures dealing with this subject but if we only have this one it is surely enough. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”, (1 Cor. 10:31). I am supposed to be a disciple of the Lord. Am I a good disciple if I am overeating or if I am guilty of gluttony? I think not.
We all need to eat and usually when I overeat I don’t consider it sinful. You know an alcoholic doesn’t really understand he is an alcoholic until it is almost too late. I think us foodaholic’s have the same issue. For me it does not register, that is not me. I actually love the taste of the food, delight in the kitchen aromas and I revel in good fellowship around the table. Gluttony and overeating doesn’t apply to me so I move along to bigger and better things to overcome.
I read in the newspaper this morning there is a guy at our capital today that has spent his last 114 days on a kayak and bicycle expedition that started in Alaska and he is not stopping until he reaches every capital in the United States. His name is Romano Scaturro and he calls it his 50@50 ride to raise awareness for childhood obesity and hunger in the US. He says, “nearly one in three children in the US today are overweight or obese, due to poor diet and lack of exercise, while at the same time there is a massive food shortage resulting in one in six children going to bed hungry.” He has a daily blog at www.FRAANK.org if you want to check it out. His cause made me think of my fantastic mountain bike and how it has hung on my garage wall all summer. What a slug… Scaturro is probably pedaling to my place right now to show me.
Some have said obesity is the scourge of our time, the Black Plaque of the 21st century. I am sure if we look at photos of people back in the 1940’s we will see a slimmer group of people. And did you know that clothing makers are making cloths larger than they did back then. A size 34 waist is still labeled a size 34 but it is sized like a 36. I bet you didn’t know that. Everything has gotten super-sized just like Burger King. I mentioned yesterday the classic of The Seven Deadly Sins by Henry Fairlie. In it he depicts a glutton as a hog at the trough. He eats, not because he loves the taste of food, but scarfs it down with hardly a thought, shoveling in great quantities of the stuff, all in an attempt to fill that inner abyss which defines his existence. This is a person that is killing himself softly and slowly, but just as deadly as with a pistol. Remember now, I am preaching to me, myselfand I. The supersizing we see going on is the world telling us it is right. In John 2:15-16 it says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
So what can I do to change the paradigm?
Praying about it in advance will work wonders. Actually, just thinking about it in advance will help. Praying will strengthen the resolve.
Advance planning can head off much of it. If we have fruits in our house, I’m less likely to get into the ice cream or homemade jelly and crackers.
Make self-control with food one aspect of a balanced and healthy life. Exercise, work, play, worship, sufficient sleep, and proper eating are all important areas of a good life. Change is in order.
I can meditate on this verse, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”, (1 Cor. 10:13).
I came all this way to conclude with the real answer. It is SELF CONTROL. And self-control is the fruit of the spirit. We need to have control as we battle the lust of the flesh. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”, (Gal. 5:17). One of the opponents in the Christian life is our own flesh nature. I am referring to the lusts of the flesh nature, which is in opposition to the Fruit of the Spirit. A Christian overcomes the lusts of his flesh nature by walking or being controlled by his spirit nature, which is in harmony with the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”, (Gal. 5:22-23 KJV) Here is the NIV translation of the same verse, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Here we see the self-control added. As we look at the King James Version, I want to point out the word “longsuffering”. Longsuffering has to do with a patient endurance of trials and sufferings and a joyful acceptance of the will of God. That is better than simply using the words SELF CONTROL.
I think I get the gist of it and I will close by reflecting back on 1 Cor. 10:31 used at the top of this post. It should cause me to ask, “Will my eating and my actions toward my body please my Lord and bring glory to Him?
The paradigm shift begins now. Not a diet but a change that brings control. Diets do not work for the long term. Take it from me. I have tried them all.
God bless you and keep you,
“The Tubthumper”