It was a summer night, common on the surface of things. Fireflies hovered over the grass. Stars began to appear in the dark evening sky. The vespers service had ended and people stood around in groups outside the small frame building they called “The Tabernacle.” Others chatted, soft-drinks or coffee in hand, under the light by the small concession stand they called “The Canteen.”
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Tired of the Struggle
People who battle with gluttony often write or tell me that they are tired of the struggle.
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Gluttony and Idolatry
One of the truths that is setting me free from gluttony is seeing my gluttony as a form of idolatry. It helped me admit that if I had to eat to excess then I did not consider God to be enough for my soul. It was a breakthrough in my thinking to realize that I was looking to food for what only God could give. John Piper’s good book on fasting, “Hunger for God”, was a helpful resource on this.
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Be Not Deceived
Since it is the truth that sets us free, we need to realize that it is error that makes us slaves to sin. It is untruth that binds us. We will not fall victim to the sin of gluttony or any other sin until we believe a lie, or a half-lie, or a series of lies. Usually we tell ourselves these lies until we believe them and act on them. That is why the Scriptures so frequently warn us not to deceive ourselves. These warnings are usually in the context of temptation to sin. Satan can deceive us, others can deceive us, and we can and often do deceive ourselves.
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The Truth that Set Me Free from Gluttony
Obesity and the failure to exercise discipline in my eating have burdened my life for years. I have been a Christian for years and I am a pastor. I often prayed for the self-control that is one of the fruits of the Spirit. I longed to help other people with their problems but in my heart I always wondered if they believed the things I said because it was obvious that I had this major failure in my own life. I often thought of Paul’s chilling words in I Corinthians 9:27; “…I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
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AJ’s (Christmas)
We were all enjoying a day at a family fun park together. I was standing at a counter. A wad of tickets lay on the counter in front of me. I asked the young woman on the other side of the counter, and employee of the park, if she knew who the tickets belonged to. She was impatient and impolite. I said; “Excuse me, can you tell me who’s these tickets are?” She jabbed her finger toward a young boy playing a video game and said without looking at me; “Yea, they belong to that kid over there.”
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