“That’s Still Sin” Week #2 : Gluttony

Welcome to “That’s Still Sin” Week on the blog. This week’s posts are meant to take five issues that are called sinful in the Bible, but that rarely get discussed as such anymore.

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Yep, we’re going there.

Gluttony is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Scripture, but that is partially to blame on a simple lack of teaching on it.

First of all, gluttony is not just eating a big meal. We kid ourselves around Thanksgiving–or after the church picnic–that we had better be careful to avoid gluttony simply because there is a large spread of food in front of us.

That is true in part, but just eating a lot at a banquet or dinner is not gluttony.

What is it, then? And what makes gluttony sinful?

Gluttony is a lack of control as it pertains to food. It is excessively eating, and was often coupled with the sin of laziness (see Titus 1:12). The idea behind this word was that it was the practice of excessive eating.

So, why is it sinful? It is because if one practices overeating on a regular basis, they do not have control over food, but food has control over that person. Simply put, it is a self-control issue. My mind is constantly on food, and I have trouble controlling myself when food is around.

A couple more quick bullet points on gluttony:

• Just because someone is overweight does not mean that person is a glutton. He/she could have a myriad of health issues or other troubles that have led to the weight.
• Just because someone is thin does not necessarily mean he/she does not struggle with gluttony. That person could have their mind on food all the time!

If you skip a meal or run late for a meal, do you obsess about food? (And, by the way, I’m not talking about those who literally must eat for conditions like diabetes.) When you finish one meal are you already thinking about the next one and have trouble thinking about anything else? When you sit down to eat, do you struggle to stop?

Then food could be your master, and that is gluttony. As a Christian, God is your Master. Let’s be sure that He is in charge of our whole lives, including our eating.

Question: What other thoughts do you have on gluttony?

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Photo credit: Lorenzo G on creative commons

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