Gluttony

            Part of my sermon Sunday morning will deal with gluttony. Gluttony is not about one’s size. There are some big people in this world who are in total control of their diet. And there are some skinny people who are gluttonous.

            I know because before my metabolism changed, I could eat whatever I wanted  and it would not affect my body. As a matter of fact, when I was 6 foot 1 and 125 lbs., I tried to eat everything I could. I still could not put on weight. (That is not the case now, I assure you!)

            I developed some bad habits. Can I confess to you my gluttony story?

            When Judy and I first got married, she came to our apartment one evening and said, “I have great news.”

            I asked her what that news was.

            She told me, “I bought a box of chocolate pudding pops from the store.”

            I said, “Oh, no. I wish you had not done that.”

            She asked me, “Why?”

            I said, “Because I cannot stop once I start. I love them so much I just keep on eating them. I could eat that whole box.”

            She said, “You could not either! There is no way you keep that whole box.”

            I said, “Yeah, I really could.”

            She said, “Let's see you eat that whole box.”

            I said, “Okay. But I am going to do this only to show you that I really mean what I say.”

            I proceeded to eat the entire box of pudding pops.

            I remember it as being a box of 12. Judy remembers it as being a box of 24. Either way, that was not a healthy thing for me to do.

            Incidentally, a lot of times you'll hear about people doing something like that, and they get so sick, they will never eat another one again. I did not get sick. And I do enjoy them to this day. Moreover, I am happy to say that I have grown in Lord somewhat, and so now I can somewhat control myself. But there was a time when it was a struggle for me. And the best thing to do was to keep them out of the house.

            What about you? Do you have your version of pudding pops that you have struggled with?

            The Bible talks a lot about gluttony. There is a fascinating section in Proverbs 23 that goes like this:

   1 If you sit down to eat with a ruler,

       notice the food that is in front of you.

 2 Control yourself

       if you have a big appetite.

 3 Don't be greedy for his fine foods,

       because that food might be a trick…

6 Don't eat the food of selfish people;

       don't be greedy for their fine foods.

 7 Selfish people are always worrying

       about how much the food costs.

    They tell you, "Eat and drink,"

       but they don't really mean it.

 8 You will throw up the little you have eaten,

       and you will have wasted your kind words (Proverbs 23:1-3, 6-8.) NCV

            Another says, 19 Listen to me, my children!
Be wise and have enough sense
to follow the right path.

20 Don’t be a heavy drinker
or stuff yourself with food.

21 It will make you feel drowsy,
and you will end up poor with only rags to wear (Prov. 23:19-21.) CEV

            We all know that gluttony is eating too much. However, do we know that gluttony is misdirected hunger? Christian minister Rick Ezell writes that the problem with gluttony is that it seeks to feed the soul with food for the body. It can cause a person to become so full in his stomach that he loses his appetite for God. A gluttonous person has not only a misdirected hunger but also a misplaced God.

            Let God control your appetite for Food. If you do, he can control your other appetites as well.

The Photo

            Defeating the sin of gluttony is hard. I read about a woman who decided that her added weight reflected the fact that she ate too much. Consequently, she did everything she could to lose weight. 

             She tried diets; she tried exercise; she even tried pills. Nothing worked… until she placed on the door of her fridge a 12 x 16 photo. The photo was of a physically striking woman: thin, beautiful, perfect figure… dressed in a bikini. Whenever the lady craved a snack and went to her fridge, that photo motivated her greatly.            

            Over the course of the next month, she lost 10 pounds. 

            Unfortunately, her husband gained 20 pounds!

            When it comes to regulating your appetite for food, the same plan of attack does not work for everyone. The important thing that applies to all is the understanding that our relationship with food is an outward manifestation of our inward relationship with God.

            When we control our appetite for food, it demonstrates that God is controlling us.

Source: THE 7 SINS OF HIGHLY DEFECTIVE PEOPLE by Rick Ezell

The Load

           A boy was helping his father bring wood into the house for the fire. The wood was heavy, and the boy’s knees buckled under the load.

            “Why don’t you use all of your strength?” the father asked.

            Gloomily, the boy replied, “I am.”

            The father gently encouraged him, “No, you have not. You have not asked me to help you.”

            Then the father stretched out his hands and picked the boy-and the log in the boy’s arms-up.

            When Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13 ESV), he was not doing so in order that a guy who was five feet, two inches tall could be inspired to someday dunk a basketball. Instead, Paul was giving a church hope that by the power of Jesus, they too could overcome sin and demonstrate the qualities of Jesus in their lives.

            I believe this teaching applies today.

            Empowerment by God typically does not mean that God will MAKE us do the right thing… or that he will take away the temptation to do the wrong thing. Neither does it mean that if we strain hard enough, we can overcome sin exclusively by our own power and live out the qualities of Jesus.

            What it does mean is that God gives us the power to collaborate with him in his work, and God’s grace and love motivate us to offer everything within our means to participate with him in his work.  

            Here is a mathematical equation for you:

Jesus—the marriage of God and flesh=The Christian—the marriage of God and flesh.

Source: THE 7 SINS OF HIGHLY DEFECTIVE PEOPLE by Rick Ezell

Criticizing Aristotle

         Legend has it that Aristotle was once criticized for giving assistance to a profligate man in need. Aristotle replied, “I did not give it to the man, I gave it to humanity.”

A Haunting Poem

Memorial Day is a time of appreciation for me. Here is a story and poem I posted a couple of years ago:

World War I produced moving poetry. To me, the most haunting poem of that era was an anonymous one.  It is inscribed on a modest headstone of the grave of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.  His name was Hobey Baker.

Hobey Baker was a Princeton graduate.  He is the only athlete ever elected to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame.  His hockey records lasted for decades.  Today, college hockey's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy is called The Hobey Baker Award.

Baker volunteered to serve in World War I. He was one of the first to fly an airplane in war.  Tragically, he crashed to his death in Toul, France. He left behind many grieving family members, friends, and fans.  We do not know who the author was, but this is the poem written on Hobey Baker’s tombstone:

                  YOU SEEMED WINGED, EVEN AS A LAD,

                  WITH THAT SWIFT LOOK OF THOSE WHO KNOW THE SKY,

                  IT WAS NO BLUNDERING FATE THAT STOOPED AND BADE

                  YOU BREAK YOUR WINGS, AND FALL TO EARTH AND DIE,

                  I THINK SOME DAY YOU MAY HAVE FLOWN TOO HIGH,

                  SO THAT IMMORTALS SAW YOU AND WERE GLAD,

                  WATCHING THE BEAUTY OF YOUR SPIRITS FLAME,

                  UNTIL THEY LOVED AND CALLED YOU, AND YOU CAME.

     

Extraordinary, isn’t it?  Such is the power of poetry dedicated to help humanity remember those lost in The Great War.

The Bad Thing About Lust

            Actually, there are probably a lot of bad things about lust. But the following, according to one practical book, is one:

            Lust treats people like football players treat a football in a ball game. How does a running back treat a football?            

            He cradles it; he cuddles it; he risks life and limb to take that ball to the goal line. But once that football crosses the goal line and he scores a touchdown, what does he do? He will spike it. He'll pound it to the ground; he'll dance around proclaim his conquest. Finally, when the game is over, he will ignore it.

            The purpose has been served. It has simply been an object to accomplish a goal. If you have been the object of someone's lust, you know how demeaning it feels.

            Make no mistake; it is the lust in the heart that drives one to dehumanize people. Maybe that is one reason Jesus said,  “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Mt. 5:27-28.) NLT

Source: THE 7 SINS OF HIGHLY DEFECTIVE PEOPLE by Rick Ezell

The Switchyard and Purity

            There was a large railroad switchyard in St. Louis, Missouri. One switch, which commenced with a slender piece of steel, headed a train from one main track onto another.

            The first track, if followed, would have taken the train to New York City. The other track took the train to San Francisco.           

            The thoughts we choose are like that. The choice we make concerning potential thoughts may seem insignificant (like a slender piece of steel seems insignificant). However, one “train of thought” could lead us to purity; another could lead us down the track of impurity.

            Carefully guard your thoughts 
because they are the source of true life (Prov. 4:23.) CEV

Source: THE 7 SINS OF HIGHLY DEFECTIVE PEOPLE by Rick Ezell