Dealing with Gluttony

Gluttony
1. excess in eating or drinking
2. greedy or excessive indulgence

Glutton
1. a. one given habitually to greedy and voracious eating and drinking b. one that has a great capacity for accepting or enduring something (a glutton for punishment)

2. wolverine

So the second definition for a glutton is a wolverine. Definition for wolverine is:
1. a carnivorous usually solitary mammal (Gulo gulo) of the weasel family of northern forests and associated tundra that is dark brown with a light brown band on each side of the body and is noted for its strength.

And here is another tid bit about wolverines: Although they are small, no animal will fight with a wolverine. They will chase wolves away from their kills, and even huge grizzly bears will get out of their way. The wolverine eats anything it can find or kill.


Honestly sometimes this is how I am when it comes to my food. If I have been a long period of time without eating I become very agitated and often times act as though I would fight you for that food! My family recognizes that mom needs to be fed so that mom isn't snappy. As hysterical as this sounds and I do have to laugh, it is also very sad that the flesh has such control. The Lord has been dealing with me over this for sometime now.

My Pastor's sermon last Sunday was on crucifying the flesh. He taught that your body is a temple that the Holy Spirit dwells within and that we should keep our temples clean and we should take great care of our temples. Our flesh is also like a prison that we wear over our spirits. We are to bring our flesh into submission and NOT feed it everything it desires. We are to make our bodies do what we want them to do according to the word of God. Our flesh is our slave to take charge over we are NOT to be a slave to our flesh. This is evident with Paul in Romans which I have listed below. If we give into our flesh we give into temptation and we sin.

So this has been a battle of mine. For a long time I was under alot of condemnation over my weight and over me allowing my flesh to rule me when I knew I was to take charge over my flesh in the mighty name of Jesus. Not by my own power or strength but by that of my Savior Jesus Christ. When I failed I felt as if I wasn't close to God and more condemnation came. Over a period of years I pushed my problem with food (which wasn't really my weight but in how much I ate and the choices of food that I chose to feed my temple) in the very back of my mind and just ignored the thoughts I would have and the quickenings in my spirit from the Lord. I had accepted my body for the way it was and thought I had won the battle. In all reality giving up isn't winning is it? It is more like forfeiture so lets look at the definition of this.

Forfeiture
1 : the act of forfeiting : the loss of property or money because of a breach of a legal obligation
2 : something (as money or property) that is forfeited : PENALTY

The loss of property or money, what am I losing? Health, blessings from my Father. Breach of a legal obligation. Or should I say breaking my end of the covenant I have with my Lord? Am I walking in ignorance any longer? No, the Lord has convicted my heart and shown me what He wants me to do. Am I making any effort? No I have forfeited or in other words chosen to willingly sin against my Father. Lastly penalty let's look at it.

Penalty
1 : the suffering in person, rights, or property that is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime or public offense
2 : the suffering or the sum to be forfeited to which a person agrees to be subjected in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations

You know this is pretty serious stuff. I am the person who is suffering and I am the one who is standing in the nonfulfillment of being obedient to my Lord. Now I know this sounds so harsh. And I fully know that we will never be perfect and that is not what I am saying. But what I am saying is that when God convicts you and then gives you revelation over a situation and you know what He wants you to do and you choose not to do it that it is disobedience and there are consequences.

How can you repent for something that you are not willing to stop doing?

Repent
1 : to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life
2 a : to feel regret or contrition b : to change one's mind

To turn from sin, to change one's mind. We cannot turn to God and ask for forgiveness if there isn't repentance in our hearts. God sees and knows our hearts. Once sin is recognized and true repentance has taken place then we seek God for strength to overcome. There should be effort being made. Our Father is always there to pick us up if we fall but we shouldn't be afraid of trying for fear of losing! We should remember God's mercy and grace. Giving up is not an option so we should keep on trying joyfully without condemnation.

In addition to sermons at my church Harvest Worship Center I have been reading daily devotions at Laced with Grace and at My Life As Annie and the Lord has spoken this lesson to me in all three places. I can't keep ignoring my Father. So I have finally taken a step. Yesterday I began a fast from sugar and made a commitment to eat smaller portions and pay close attention to eating only when I am hungry and stopping when I am full not stuffed. I am keeping a food journal each day and plan to incorporate daily exercise into my commitment soon. I ask for your prayers. That my focus be on being obedient to God and not on losing weight. Also I rejoice because I am not on this journey alone. My Father is with me, He is my strength and I know I can do all things through HIM!!!

Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Mt 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mr 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Romans 7:18-25 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Phillipians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.