gluttony & moderation

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

― Socrates

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12

Would you just look at ALL that food in that picture! When I see that table from this overhead perspective it’s actually sort of disgusting. To me, it just looks like HUGE portions, unhealthy, a lot of fired foods, and just too much! Yet, that is what most of our tables look like when we are eating. This is what people think of when they think of American dining.

What was the name of the Greek hero that was punished by the gods for gluttony? Diabetes.

While that little joke above is worth a chuckle, the reality is quite true that we have an issue in this country that is caused by gluttony.

[A] study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found the frequency of obesity was increasing among adults and was consistently higher among those with Type 2 diabetes. Obesity was linked to 30%-53% of new Type 2 diabetes diagnoses each year over the past two decades.

Obesity drives up to half of all Type 2 diabetes cases in the United States, new research shows, highlighting the need for greater prevention. (heart.org.)

photo by The BlackRabbit @theblackrabbit

American culture in general, has an unhealthy relationship with food. Yes, that’s right, we can and do have an unhealthy worship of food in this country.

It’s not that liking or desiring good foods is bad.

It’s our unhealthy focus on it that makes it bad.

Obesity in adults 18 and older has increased 1.8% from 2017-2022, or you could say, 33 people per 100 people are obese in this country, and that number is growing. (ibisworld.com)

Gluttony symbolizes sins such as debauchery, self-indulgence, overabundance, and lack of restraint. The reason(s) for gluttony can be as simple as idolatry. Anything we worship or have an unhealthy obsession over or is an appetite that is never satiated is an idol. Eventually those idols will enslave us. Yes, food can enslave us just the same as alcohol or pills.

In the scripture above from 1 Corinthians, The Apostle Paul is telling us to be careful not to be enslaved to things or behaviors of this world that are meant to trap us in bondage. There are things of this world that our enemy uses to keep us from all that God has for us in this life. Paul tells us that “just because we can,” and “just because something(s) may not be unlawful” for us to do, doesn’t mean it’s just fine in God’s eyes, or good for us.

God did not go to the cross to set us free from sin only for us to be overindulgent in sinful behaviors, lacking self-control, and gluttonous people.

photo by Martin Jernberg @martinjernberg

He gave us food because our bodies require it for energy and nutrition, thus all things are lawful as the scripture says. However, overeating and overindulgence in general is bad for us. Therefore, not all things are beneficial.

We seek comfort in food. We pack in the carbs when we feel sluggish, or sad because within forty-five minutes we will have that awesome serotonin high that makes us feel good. Let’s face it, that half-gallon of ice cream, in the moment, can be just what our brain is craving, but not what our bodies need.

Many Americans have an unhealthy relationship with food. This can be for many reasons. Sometimes, while rarer than most want to accept, gluttony is genetic. Studies have found over forty genes that impact our eating habits. It has been proven that sometimes overeating “turns on” genes that would have never turned on if we hadn’t developed the habit of overeating to begin with.

Food was created for our pleasure and to be fuel for our bodies. It is a source of blessing from God, and food is often what brings people together, but anything taken to the extreme is not good for us.

“Although gluttonous usually refers to the greedy consumption of food and drink, it can also be applied to overly hearty appetites of any kind, such as a "gluttonous love of money," or even a masochistic love of pain, as in the popular phrase "glutton for punishment." Gluttonous is always used critically, and in the Christian faith especially, gluttony is considered [sinful behavior].” (vocabulary.com)

Perhaps you recognize this song from The Eagles?

“Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
'Relax,' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave ...”
― The Eagles, Hotel California

Interestingly enough, this song, written by The Eagles, was inspired by a nightmarish novel, The Magnus, by John Fowles, with the narrative going from sincere idealism and genuine curiosity to a overbearing sense of darkness and hopelessness.

“You start with nothing. It all looks so good! Then you get everything. And you get crushed under the weight of everything’s excess. What was it all for to begin with?” (Ethan Reese)

All deadly sins can be represented in Reese’s one simple statement, but without a doubt, gluttony would play a huge role in driving one to want more and more and then to end up exactly as Socrates said, still not satisfied.

So what do we do if we realize we have become gluttonous in a particular area or areas of our life?

We begin to think in terms of moderation. Moderation is doing things in a reasonable and not excessive way. It means taking control over whatever has you enslaved, whether it is food, or alcohol, exercise, spending, anything that controls you in a way that makes you feel as though you are never satisfied with that particular area of your life.

It’s important to note here, that while moderation is key and the antidote to gluttony, moderation does not work in all aspects of gluttonous vices, for instance, moderately watching porn, or moderately smoking, or moderately gambling, etc.. There are certain aspects of life that will suck you in and overpower you before you know what hit you.

So, we must be wise not to play in certain areas that are in and of themselves harmful, can become an addiction, and are harmful to our souls no matter if done in moderation or not. Again, this is what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians, what we choose freely can soon dominate our lives.

Moderation (sometimes abstinence) is key, but we must have self-control in order to practice moderation (or abstinence), and self-control is a fruit of the spirit given to us by The Holy Spirit. As Christians we are given this gift and we are called to use it to show the world the power of Christ in us.

photo by Jack Sharp @jacksharp_photography

Once again, as I have mentioned in many other writings, those of us in Christ are called to stand out in this world. Everyone is to know there is something different about us by our behavior. Living a healthy balanced life in today’s world will most definitely stand out in a culture that is obsessively gluttonous in all ways possible.

Our world needs to see people of self-control, living our lives in healthy moderation in areas like…
Eating
Exercising
Working
Spending
Running our kids
Social Media
Socializing
Committing to things

The standard of living in America is higher than any other nation on this earth. We have more leisure time and food to eat than any other people in the history of our world, and yet we always want more, and complain if we can’t find the specific brand we want.

This easiness of life can lead to, as the late Billy Graham called it, “a cult of comfort. We are a nation that prides itself in prosperity and plenty but when abused, these things become enemies. Undisciplined appetites, reckless spending, too much ease … are among the many things that rob of us living life as God would have us live.”

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

We were bought at a price, the Life of Christ, and for the purpose of showing the freedom that comes from being with Christ, to a world of overindulged, self-serving, and enslaved people. Therefore, we are to glorify God in all that we do and say.

We all can fall into the trap of gluttony. No one is exempt so do not judge others, and please do not get trapped in shame or guilt if this applies to you. That is not from God. Shame and guilt are the enemy’s weapons. Instead, use those feelings to motivate you to act today! Begin to empower yourself by first naming and owning whatever “thing” might have you enslaved.

You can be free of the bondage of any gluttonous behavior. Is Christ enough? Yes! Absolutely, God is enough. That being said, I firmly believe God allows us to go through things to help others once we are on the other side of the struggle. I also believe God has blessed others with knowledge and talents, for instance, counselors, coaches, nutritionists, doctors, etc., to guide us and hold us accountable when we are weak, or tempted, and struggling.

So, yes, God is enough, but He also never expected us to do this life alone and we need to lean into community when we need it, and we need to be a part of community for someone else when they need it. This is why programs like AA are successful. The addict doesn’t feel judged or alone and they gain hope for recovery through the testimony of their peers.

Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.~ Paul Ryan

Resources & references:

7-reasons-we-struggle-with-gluttony

working preacher commentary-on-1-corinthians-612-20

ibisworld.com-adult-obesity-rate

Billy Graham-is gluttony a sin?

7 deadly sins & their counterparts (#6)