Gluttony

Woke up this morning with the word gluttony on my mind and I decided to research it

Gluttony—a term derived from the Latin word meaning to “gulp down”

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

Gluttony is defined as over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items

Proverbs 23 talks a lot about gluttony…verse 2 is pretty scary “…and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony”

As a matter of fact, some Christian denominations consider it one of the 7 deadly sins...in the same category as  pride, greed, lust, envy, wrath and sloth

These sins are often thought to be abuses or excessive versions of one's natural faculties or passions.

Medieval Theologian, Thomas Aquinas, said that, "Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating, drinking and materialism, but an inordinate desire . . . leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists”

We all say that the sin of Sodom was homosexuality, true but there was more…Ezekiel 16:49 says “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, gluttons and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy”.

I once watched a season of 24 for 24-straight hours, I didn’t sleep…I couldn’t sleep. That was gluttony.

I heard of a person with a shoe collection; 3,000 pairs of shoes (these shoes were later eaten up by termites)…that’s gluttony

When we turn to binge-watching instead of turning to prayer.

When we pause to check Facebook instead of pausing to meditate on Scripture.

When we fill our lives with comfort food and comfort games, with must-see TV shows and must-engage social media, in order to avoid filling our time and our lives with God and His holy Word…that’s gluttony

 Whenever we take more than we truly need…that’s gluttony


When we amass more than what’s reasonable…that’s gluttony

 

Apostle Paul talked about “disciplining his body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” – 1 Corinthians 9:27

It takes discipline to know when to stop, when to say no and when to say “that’s enough”…and where/when human strength fails, grace is available.

 

Thank You Lord for Your promises of sufficient grace and mercy to help in this time of need and I ask for Your daily guidance to overcome and strengthen my resolve to step away from every form of gluttony into temperance and grace

#Amen

Picture Credit (c) Toonpool

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