Friday, September 2, 2016
While dining with a ruler, pay attention to what is put before you. If you are a big eater, put a knife to your
throat; don’t desire all the delicacies, for he might be trying to trick you. Proverbs 23:1-3 (NLT)
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory
of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
God has much to say about gluttony,
and the principles that we can glean from His Word are more than just
profitable at the dinner table; these principles spill-over into many other
areas of living.
Grandma Brownworth had a saying (she
actually had one for about everything); she would say: Enough is too much. And that is a wise saying, human nature being
what it is. John D. Rockefeller was one
of the richest men of his time, and he was asked how much money is enough? His answer:
Just a little bit more!
My grandmother never met Garfield the
cat. Garfield and John are watching television...the
cat is shouting "Go! Go!
Go!" John says: "Garfield that monster shark just ate
Tokyo. Why are you cheering for
it?" With a sly smile Garfield
answers: "Anything that eats
everything can't be all bad."
As a teenager I recall (faintly) that
the preacher had cautioned that there were many forbidden fruit in
life...illicit sex, booze, smoking and cussing.
As an adult I've been warned to be honest in business, not to cheat on
the IRS. And now....THIS! I’m warned to behave at the dinner table!
I can think of a whole lot of other
sins that are higher on my Better-Not-Do-That list than
overeating. But, if there is any sin
that leads me slowly, deliciously, but inevitably into other sins, it is a gluttonous
attitude.
What does a sensible, sincere
disciple of Jesus Christ do when he or she reads God’s word? We apply the principles of our Master's
teaching to the way we live. Paul
says...Whatever you do, do everything, in every way, in every day, in every
place, no matter who is watching, so that God receives glory.
The natural response for the
Christian who really cares to follow Christ is to ask the question: Does what I’m about to do glorify God? But I think it goes beyond that when we talk
about the daily temptation we face.
If we can begin to view temptation (in
every form, not just the craving for Häagen-Dazs®
Rocky Road), as an
opportunity to prove/love God, we will begin to apply the principle of faith to
overcome.
James says (1:2) to be joyful when
temptation comes.
Paul says (Ro 12:2) to prove God's
will by being changed/transformed.
Give me nuts and bolts for that...How
do you do it?
At the risk of over-simplification, a
basic answer is:
Recognize temptation for what it is....
1.
Visualize
in your mind the results of acting on a temptation, both negative and positive
2.
Make
a conscious choice of the will for good, something POSITIVE....in the opposite
direction from the temptation.
3.
Pay
attention as the Holy Spirit uses this good choice to effect
transformation in your character! And give God thanks, and all the glory.
For You Today
As a church, as families and as
individuals we need to have restraint over our appetites and attitudes. And we should demonstrate that for the
community in which we live, starting with food.
Go to VIDEO
NOTES
[i]
Title Image: Hieronymus
Bosch (circa 1450–1516) or follower [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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