This first series, called the Deadly Series, will be a 7-week long journey where we will be discussing the 7 deadly sins that God finds detestable to his people. There will be one sin per week, with each sin we will talk about the Godly traits we will need to exhibit to combat the deadly one. Don’t worry, we will discuss these sins in grave detail as this series will be very informative, thought-provoking, and loaded with various bible scriptures to help support and back each discussion-based topic.
Within this series, viewers/ readers will have an opportunity to purchase original content worksheets to further enrich their knowledge and gain even more Golden Nuggets!
Prayer: Dear gracious father, we come humbly in your name to give you praise on today. To lift you up and magnify your name. Lord, we worship you because of who you are and what you have done in our lives. Let his post bless whomever it needs to bless and let us all come out of ignorance and into your Word which is meant for reading, correction, and truth. In Jesus' name. Amen
A Gluttonous Spirit
Today we will be understanding what it means to have the Deadly Sin called Gluttony. Before I even picked up pen and paper to write this post, I thought to myself, do I exhibit signs of gluttonous behavior? Like, do I have an issue with food where I overindulge in it? Well, the answer is yes. In some cases, I tend to eat when I'm not hungry or overindulge in too much ice cream. I never knew how this sin was so deadly until I began to write and research to inquire about it for this series. So let's begin, shall we!
Gluttony means the overindulgence, overconsumption of food, and beverages like alcohol.
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:19-20
From reading the definition, do you have a problem with gluttony?
What’s the Difference Between Gluttony and Greed?
Many people, like myself, think that Gluttony and Greed are the same things. In actuality, they are slightly different. Gluttony focuses on overindulgence and lack of self-control in food and beverages while greed is an excessive desire to have wealth, power, and worldly possessions. Even though both allow people to lack something, both are extremely dangerous to possess.
A lot of people are completely blind to the fact that they have or might have one, if not both. One is bad enough but to have both can be alarming. So, the question of today is how can we fix ourselves to not overindulge? How can we correct the problem, call it for what it is to stop feeding our fleshly desires? Let's find out what the bible says on this matter, shall we?
What Does the Bible Say About Being Gluttonous?
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
1 Corinthians 10:7
The Bible characterizes Gluttony as idolatry, and I can now see why. With obesity progressively increasing year after year, it's safe to say we forget that too much of anything is bad for us. Everything should be done in moderation with self-control, everything!
Let me tell you, I struggle with food. I will admit my self-control is shot when it comes to food. I love to eat, and as a result of that, I gain weight as we all do. Learning more about Gluttony for myself and as I'm writing this post I've realized I need to get a handle on what I put in my body and just how lack of self-control I have when it comes to food.
I have the right to do anything,”
you say—but not everything is beneficial.
“I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
1 Corinthians 6: 12
We as people have a responsibility to take care of ourselves. Self-care is important but we must get in the groove of making sure our bodies work for us and not against us.
God's Holy Temple
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
In order to combat gluttony, we first have to understand our worth and our value. God knows our worth, He's the one who made us of course. It's our job to understand our importance when it comes to our bodies.
Stewardship Over Your Body: Let's break down the word stewardship to steward. What does it mean to be a steward of something? Being a steward of something, like our bodies, for instance, is in reference to being an ambassador. It’s a representation of something. So, when God says we are not our own and that the holy spirit lives inside us, we have to understand that we need to protect that at all cost.
You wouldn’t buy a house and then trash it the next day. No, you would protect your investment by making sure it's up to code, getting an alarm system put in, and making sure all the doors are locked and secure. The same goes for your body. We have to make sure we are eating correctly, exercising, and drinking water. The bible says, [For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10]
So, I don’t know about yall but come November 1st, 2021, I’m changing my eating habits and getting back on my weight-loss journey. I want, no, I need for my body to be in good condition because I got work to do, and so do you!!
Consequences of Being Gluttonous
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
Overeating can do irreversible damage to the body, as we know. No wonder the bible relates it to drunkenness and all things bad. This world is filled with temptation surrounding food if it's not food advertising that preys on their consumers to buy more than what they need; then it's building more fast-food restaurants than whole food markets, and pushing buffets that encourage an "all you can eat" approach.
I stumbled upon this article called All About Gluttony, part 1 by Ryan Andrews. What I loved about the article was that he broke all of his information down based on different types of religion, what the bible stays about Gluttony, the origin of why gluttony is a deadly sin, and most importantly the statistics of how gluttony is poisoning the bodies of not only Christians believers but the world as a whole. Here's what he had to say.
“Gluttony is the excessive consumption that deprives another being of a life-giving necessity. Gluttons devour more, leaving others with less. It’s immoderation. Beyond consumption, gluttony describes worship of food and deriving excessive pleasure from it.”
(Andrews, 2021)
“Added sweeteners comprise nearly 20% of the U.S. diet.
Americans eat over 220 pounds of meat per person, per year.
The U.S. diet is primarily processed and animal foods.
Nearly 70% of those above the age of 18 years in most industrialized countries drink alcohol. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S.
A study of 19-30-year-olds revealed that 45% of men and 27% of women reported heavy drinking in the past two weeks.
Today, 18,000 kids will die because they are malnourished. That’s 6 times the number killed on September 11th."
(Andrews, 2021)
When you look at the stats it's disheartening that we can't see the issue for what it is. We have to change, if not then we will suffer within our bodies. We are not built to eat so much food or drink mindlessly. Check yourself before your body soon will!
The consequence of gluttony is death. Point blank, period. Spiritual and realistically. Consuming too much of anything will kill you when it comes to food or alcohol or other beverages.
“Heart Disease still remains to be the number 1 cause of death in the U.S according to the data of 2018. These are the facts! I'm not trying to scare anyone but we have to wake up! The American Heart Association states that 868,662 deaths alone were a result of Heart Diseases in the U.S of 2017.”
(American Heart Association, 2021)
Stroke
Cardiovascular Disease
Coronary Heart Disease
Cardiac Arrest
High Blood Pressure
Diabetes
High Cholesterol
Poor nutrition
Overweight/Obesity”
(American Heart Association, 2021)
All of these will lead to our death if we don't change our lifestyle. Take heed.
Shades of Gluttony
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh
Romans 13:14
I tend to eat mindlessly, not really caring what I eat as long as I'm eating something!
I eat fast, that way I can consume more food!
I hardly eat throughout the day but when I do eat I pig out and sometimes overdo it!
I sometimes eat when I'm full, just because!
I can’t stop myself from drinking too much, I don’t know my limit?
Put Your Gluttony In ✅
Golden Nuggets I Leave You!
Hey Golden Family, I hope you liked and were inspired by today's post on gluttony. I really wanted to push the envelope on this topic because it's really a serious one, as all of them are. I wanted to make it clear that people are dying from preventable diseases due to gluttony and lack of self-control.
This is the reason why self-control is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. We have to value ourselves and our bodies in order for God to push us towards purpose. If we can't take care of our bodies then how can God bless us with an assignment from His Kingdom? We abide in Him and He abides in Us.
Honorable Bible Scriptures
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 23:20-21
They shall say to the elders,
“This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious.
He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard
Deuteronomy 21:20
When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.
Proverbs 23:1-3
A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
Proverbs 28:7
If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.
Proverbs 25:16
Questions To Consider:
Do I tend to overeat?
Do I overeat when I'm bored or in a group or social setting like a night out with friends, thanksgiving, social event?
Do I abuse food as a coping mechanism?
Am I careless with what I put in my body?
How can I become more health-conscious?
Do I know the difference between brain hunger and physical hunger?
References:
Andrews, R. (2021, October 29). All about gluttony, part 1. Precision Nutrition. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-gluttony-1.
American Heart Association. (2021). 2021 heart disease and stroke statistics update fact sheet ... www.heart.org. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://www.heart.org/-/media/phd-files-2/science-news/2/2021-heart-and-stroke-stat-update/2021_heart_disease_and_stroke_statistics_update_fact_sheet_at_a_glance.pdf?la=en.