Conquering Gluttony

by | Jun 4, 1999 | Temperance

“and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.” – Proverbs 23:2

Scott H. Bowerman is the pastor of The Hilton Presbyterian Church in Newport News, Virginia. Describing himself as a “recovering glutton,” he once weighed 265 pounds. He writes: “For years I’d tried to lose weight but never got to the root problem – self-control over my appetite. This time I figured maybe I needed some supernatural help. So I began praying for discipline and self-control. God answered that prayer. I found the discipline to begin exercising – walking, then jogging, then running, up to twenty-five miles a week. But what was even more remarkable was the inward change that took place. I learned when hunger struck to think of it in a positive way, almost visualizing my body burning off fat. I learned even to find joy in denying my body what it craved. I learned to focus on mealtime less as a time to feed my physical cravings and more as a time to enjoy the company of others. But most important of all, I began to regard my body as my servant, not my master. And in about a year I lost 75 pounds. I say all this not to boast, but to say there is help for us gluttons through the power of the Spirit. Jesus in our reading spoke about “spiritual food” that sustained him despite hunger. That food was to do God’s will. And that same food is available for us.”

Are you disciplined in your eating? Today in prayer, give any lack of self-control to Christ and look to Him to sustain you.

“Gluttony is more than overeating. The temptation of gluttony is to try to find fulfillment in life from consumption: consumption of food or drink, or the consumption of things. Gluttony takes the form of materialism when we reach for material possessions as the source of human fulfillment.” – R. Charles Grant

God’s Word: “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

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2002, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN PROVERBS pkennedy@devotional.com

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