Seen Any Lions?

Are you struggling with ‘too much’ of something? For the past several months, I have been struggling with too much of something that does not benefit me in any way. It not only doesn’t benefit me but when I operate in this too much I find myself feeling disappointed, unfaithful, swollen, lethargic, heavy, frustrate because I gave into my flesh, irritable, and more.

Gluttony in itself is a very dangerous demon, and the Bible states glutton is “a character trait of an evil person, and it instructs people to stay away from gluttonous individuals. Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat (Proverbs 23:20)”. Dictionary.com states that a glutton is a person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously and a person with a remarkably great desire or capacity for something: ‘a glutton for work; a glutton for punishment’. There is a good article to read on glutton at http://www.ehow.com/info_8529294_scriptures-deal-gluttony.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

Most people think of food when the word is used, but today I would like to try to open our minds to the possibility of how gluttony works in other areas as well. Maybe your struggle is not eating too much which is the true intent of the meaning of glutton. Maybe your struggle is talking about people, lust, pornography, telling lies, mean/hurtful words or actions, negativity in your mind/mouth/actions, selfishness, money, overspending. Or maybe you struggle with giving to others yet neglecting your family, not being willing to submit to the leader/authority over you, pride, homosexuality, adultery, fear, anger, listening to music that eats at your very being/morals/beliefs, not communicating with God daily, alcohol, or even one I haven’t mentioned.

The reason people fall victim to temptations is failure to make the cut between your thoughts and imagination when it comes to destructive thinking habits. Just having a thought about a temptation is not a sin. However, when you start indulging your imagination about that thought, involving your heart and emotions by picturing yourself engaged in that act, that is when it gives birth to sin. (http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/how-to-be-set-free-from-gluttony/). I would like to add, not only picturing ones-self or indulging our imagination about that thought, but actually engaging our body and soul to fulfill this action promotes that sin to grow.

I know what the above statements are like all too well. I love certain foods. I have said and known that certain foods are dangerous for me. I have stated to friends that I should not go to places to eat like that. Don’t you know that I have been to places like that 4 times in the past month? Oh sure, I could choose to eat something different there and not indulge and I did the first and second time I went there. The last four times though I have given myself over to eating other things offered instead of staying on the right eating path of eating until I was satisfied. I made a conscious choice the last 4 times before I went that I was going to eat as much as I wanted. I had a friend email me several months ago and asked me six questions. I wrote her back and answered them as honestly and humbly as I could. The questions are below and in my next blog I will share the answers I wrote then and the answers to questions 3, 4, 5, and 6 that I am living out and want to live out in my future.

1.     When did you start?

2.     How much exercise do you do and what kind do you do?

3.     How do you fight the addiction itself to food?

4.     Do you think you have conquered #3?

5.     Are you planning this as a lifestyle, or just until you want to get to your goal weight?

6.       How do you handle going out or dinner with people?

I hate to admit these things because it saddens me to know that I allowed gluttony (that lion that lurks on the side of my road to holiness) to take me off and distract me from my highway to holiness God has laid out before me. Yep, as much as I hate that I do it, I continuously I give myself willingly over to temptation to eat more than I need by looking at this ugly lion dangle objects I really enjoy but have no benefit to me when consumed in excess. I often follow these desires to have more food-way more than I need. I am not feeling condemned right now. I am saddened and repentant. Condemnation brings no life to my very being yet conviction causes me to cry out for deliverance in this area once again.

This morning I have been reading a few articles on gluttony and most of them say that in the Christian realm, gluttony is the most accepted/overlooked sin. I walked in gluttony with regard to food for years and my body revealed the results of it. Please take the time to read http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/how-to-be-set-free-from-gluttony/. It is a very good read and it did not make me feel condemned after reading. Actually, I felt very enlightened and encouraged to repent and do better after reading this article. Give it a read and tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading. I pray today you walk ‘too much’ of: Father God, His presence, His security, His strength, His wisdom, His healing, His anointing, His favor, His love, His kindness, His patience, His joy, His Spirit, His self-control, His faithfulness. I pray you also walk in ‘too much’ of His kindness, His peace, His wisdom, His revelation, His knowledge, plain and simple. I hope you walk on the Highway to Holiness He has call YOU to and not even look to the left or the right at the ‘lions’ who are seeking you to destroy all His goodness for you today.

Instead of being gluttons for punishment, let’s be accused of being a glutton for relationship with God, Jesus and Holy Spirit. 

Let us also not be distracted by the lions on the side of our highway to holiness but look to the Lion of Judah Who has good things stored up and ready to give out to us.