Every so often
I have written about Gluttony on my blog,
and I have even preached on it from time to time. Gluttony is the forgotten sin
in today’s culture. It has basically been thrown out the door by many modern
people. It is not uncommon to see a largely over weight pastor sticking to young
men for being addicted to pornography…and not getting the irony. And while there
can be some health issues that make losing weight difficult, that is a tiny, infinitesimal
percentage of the reason why gluttony is such an issue in our society today. It
was really encouraging to see E. J. Hardy address this in his book on marriage,
“Probably
the carelessness of many people about their health may be explained in the same
way. They think either that their constitutions are so good that nothing can
injure them or else that they are so bad that nothing can make them better. And
often it is a bottle of wine or some other indulgence of appetite that keeps
health away. We have heard of a well-known character who, having had many
severe attacks of gout, and who, getting into years, and having a cellar of old
port wine, upon which he drew somewhat considerably, was advised by his
physician to give up the port, and for the future to drink a certain thin
claret not very expensive. Said the gentleman in reply to this suggestion:
"I prefer my gout with my port, to being cured of my gout with that claret
of yours!" Of a delicate man who would not control his appetite it was
said, "One of his passions which he will not resist is for a particular
dish, pungent, savoury, and multifarious, which sends him almost every night
into Tartarus." Talking of the bad effects of late hours Sydney Smith said
of a distinguished diner-out that it would be written on his tomb, "He
dined late." "And died early," added Luttrell.”
Such
people ought to be told that in playing tricks with their health they are
committing a very great sin. "Perhaps," says Mr. Herbert Spencer,
"nothing will so much hasten the time when body and mind will both be
adequately cared for, as a diffusion of the belief that the preservation of
health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical
morality. Men's habitual words and acts imply the idea that they are at liberty
to treat their bodies as they please. Disorders entailed by disobedience to
Nature's dictates, they regard simply as grievances, not as the effects of a
conduct more or less flagitious. Though the evil consequences inflicted on
their dependents, and on future generations, are often as great as those caused
by crime; yet they do not think themselves in any degree criminal. It is true
that, in the case of drunkenness, the viciousness of a bodily transgression is
recognized; but none appear to infer that, if this bodily transgression is
vicious, so too is every bodily transgression. The fact is, that all breaches
of the laws of health are physical sins."[1]
All you have to
do is look at how those who are overweight pass this on to their children by
lifestyle rather than genetics, and you can see the wisdom in what Hardy says
here. This is a terrible sin that makes many simple parts of your life much
harder, will cause you to live a shorter life, and will cause you to encourage
such a situation for your children as well. It is harming them, and set them up for a life of troubles in this area.
A man has a
duty to look after himself at least enough so that he can carry his wife to
safety. Which means that he needs to encourage her to do likewise, so that his
effort is not in vain. He will better be able to serve the Lord to, if he shows
in his outward frame that he is able to say no to the extra slice of cake, or
can of coke. In fact, getting rid of soft drink all together would be all that
most people would need to do to be a little healthier, well that and an afternoon walk five times a week. Try those two things and you’ll be amazed at the change in your health.
I may even put
my sermons on gluttony up on this page at some point. Because this is not a
minor theme in the Bible, but it is a major oversight in the modern church.
This is not a call for every man or woman to be a peak condition athlete, or
even close to this. It is just a reminder that gluttony is the same as the sin
of drunkenness. Both need to be repented of.
List of
References
[1]
E. J. Hardy. How to be Happy Though Married: Being a Handbook to Marriage
(Kindle Location 3414). Kindle Edition.
very true, personally don't have this problem due to having had cancer and am permanently thin, but I after being told to stop drinking Pepsi lost a pound every week, went back to drinking soda as I'm 135 sopping wet
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