The Holidays and Gluttony

Introduction

Eating is a normal and healthy part of life. We all need to eat every day to survive, so it’s not surprising that we do it when we feel emotional or stressed.

Emotional eating is a term used to describe situations in which we turn to food for comfort but sometimes emotional eating can become more. It can get excessive and develop a pattern that exalts self above God, turning it into gluttony. Do you struggle with gluttony? It’s important to understand what you are dealing with so you can become free in Christ Jesus. You can get to the root of why you are emotionally eating.  You can only get completed whole when Christ heals the root. There are many reasons why you might turn to food for comfort. Jesus knows and He loves us through them all. 

What is gluttony?

The Oxford dictionary defines gluttony as noun

1. habitual greed or excess in eating.

Proverbs 23:20-21 says, Don’t live in the excesses of drunkenness or gluttony,

or waste your life away by partying all the time, 

21 because drunkards and gluttons sleep their lives away

and end up broke!

So the issue is not the food itself but putting the food over others, yourself and God. If you can not say no, then who or what are you giving your yes?

The solution to gluttony is to ask God for forgiveness and to deliver you from the sin of gluttony. You are the righteous of God.  Whatever demonic activity that is operating has got to flee. In the Name of Jesus Christ we command it to go. In it’s place Lord we ask you to fill us with a hunger and desire for you God. Once we are delivered form the sin of gluttony we have the habitual residue to address. Gluttony was the sin but it came from root often of pain or trauma. Once you are healed you must then address the behaviors that came from the root.

What are some tips to learn healthy eating?

• Eat slowly. When you’re stressed or upset, it’s easy to eat fast and mindlessly. This can lead to overeating and feeling even worse afterward. If you eat more slowly and pay attention to what you’re eating, it will be easier for your brain to recognize when the body is full.
• Eat when you’re hungry,stop when your satited. It’s common for people who are struggling with emotional eating to use food as a way of coping with difficult feelings (like anxiety). It’s important to know the difference between true hunger or thirst and emotional triggers that cause us to eat so that we don’t end up using food in unhealthy ways.
• Learn how much food is appropriate for your body size and activity level and track what you eat for a while. We often have no idea how much we are really eating. Tracking your intake for a while can be such an eye opening experience. It’s also recommended that you:

Gluttony is not a sentence to doom. You can become free, learn to eat well and have a healthy relationship with food.

Gluttony can feel like it’s a part of your life, but it doesn’t have to be. I know people who have been delivered form gluttony and who walk without sin. Understand I stated without sin, that does not mean they are not tempted. At the time of writing this article it is the middle of the Chrsitmas holiday season and friends I have been tempted. But I will sin not. While a sugary treat may seem like the perfect way to take my mind off things for just a few minutes. I know this isn’t really how it works—I won’t be any closer to solving whatever problem is making me unhappy, overwhelmed or bored.

Instead I try one of my soul-care methods such as exercise and meditation on the Word of God. 

Conclusion

Gluttony is a real struggle for many people but you don’t have to feel shame. God wants to see you free form shame, guilt and condemnation. Walking in health.  The key is to ask for forgiveness, be delivered from the sin pattern and become being aware of what triggers your gluttony. I hope this article has helped with that! If you think this might apply to yourself or someone close to you, please reach out so we can help as well. You can also join our free online community for Kingdom believers who want to advance the Kingdom of God with their whole self