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I am an overweight woman. I always have been.  Even when I was a teenager playing field hockey six days a week, I always felt overweight compared to the other girls my age. I’ve always wanted to be thin and fantasized about what that kind of look would do for me, but I never really committed to losing weight. Ever. Yes, I tried Weight-Watchers, NutriSystem, Atkins, etc., but I never stuck with it. I love food too much.

Every year for Lent, I try to give up French fries. I usually make it a few weeks before I convince myself that giving up something that is bad for me isn’t really a sacrifice for God, it’s selfish for me, because I’ll reap the benefits, so I give in, and eat some French fries, “punishing” my body for my selfishness.

Like most women in America, I made a New Year’s Resolution to get healthier. Everyone has various ways: diet, exercise, drink more water, get more sleep, etc. I decided to give up ALL fast food. I figured I’d be more likely to stick with it, because I know going in, it IS selfish, rather than during Lent when it’s supposed to be selfless. How wrong is that logic? Anyway, it occurred to me, early in the New Year, that overeating is a sin. So why do I have such a hard time believing that eating healthier is for God? 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 tells us, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred...”

So why is it so easy to dismiss making the right food choices? With all these questions, I decided to dive deeper into what exactly gluttony covers.

According to Wikipedia, “Gluttony means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste. In some Christian denominations, it is considered one of the seven deadly sins — a misplaced desire of food or its withholding from the needy.”

Great. This creates more questions than answers. So as long as I give to the needy, am I okay to have a desire for food? Or am I just reading too much into it so I feel less guilty about my late-night French-fry indulgence?

Perhaps we have become so bountiful that gluttony is no longer considered a sin, or at least not as bad of a sin as it was in biblical times.

Can one sin out-weigh another? For example, if you went against one of the 10 commandments, is that a worse sin than over-eating? Or is a sin, a sin, creating an equal threat of eternal damnation?

Wow, eternal damnation. That will certainly help put on the breaks before I hit up the next drive-thru window. It’s just hard for me to wrap my head around.

After doing more research, I loop back to what I originally knew: gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. So what does Wikipedia have to say about those seven?

“In Christianity, … gluttony can be interpreted as
selfishness; essentially placing concern with one’s own interests above the well-being or interests of others.”

If it were as simple as that, I get it. Isit as simple as that?  Perhaps I should be referencing what the Bible says about gluttony rather than what Wikipedia says about gluttony.

It scares me to acknowledge what Proverbs 23:2 says: “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.” Proverbs 23:21 goes on to say, “gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” And Proverbs 28:7, “… a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.”

Those are some pretty rough statements to “swallow.”  But what is it actually saying? WHY is gluttony so shameful? I think it’s a test of self-control. For me, it’s one of the hardest tests of self-control. And perhaps all sins are a test of self-control (lust, greed, etc.).

Self-control can be a very calming and peaceful experience. Some might even say it can feel spiritual, especially if you are practicing it for a godly life. 
2 Peter 1:5-7 talks about how to “receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior.” It says, “…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”

Galatians tells us that to be able to say no to things in excess, to express self-control, can be a wonderful way to experience the “fruit of the Spirit.”

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:16, 22

Practicing this form of self-control is going to continue to be a struggle for me, but it is also a perfect opportunity for sacrifice. So this year for Lent, I’ll not only give up French fries, I’ll also try to add more “fruit.”