Gluttony

[Trisha]

It is a long process to trust God, to put your trust in Him. I never grew up in a Christian home, and wasn't born again until I was 43, and trust has never been my strong suit, but gradually I have been getting some better at it. My Christian friends have alot to do with that, always reminding me to trust God for this or for that. I need that reminding.
Comfort from food can also be physical, not just to feed your spirit. Because your body is so used to having it whenever you feel overwhelmed, angry, anxious, etc. etc. your body is used to its quick fix from food to quiet these emotions. I used to think I had low blood sugar and that is why I got shakey and had some confusion because often I wasn't upset about anything and still felt awful in this way, but Im beginning to learn that it is part of the addiction to food. Because I didn't like that feeling I would get some goodies when I was out and eat and then the guilt would come. The guilt is not worth the overeating and the junk food anymore. It is worse than not eating when I feel like it. The guilt just happens to come after the joy and fun of overeating, like any other sin there is. Its always fun at first.
After I more and more abstain from overeating or eating for comfort, the body will reset itself and food will take its proper place and I shouldn't have these physical symptoms anymore. My body will adjust to smaller meals and the times of meals eventually.
So at first it was for comfort from emotions and then the trick came and I began to eat to stop feelings of not eating. That is addiction. Just the way drugs and alcohol first starts and ends up also. No food becomes enough food. I was so tired of the merry-go-round. My feet and legs hurt, my job is on my feet, back hurts, and my clothes are all so tight its ridiculous and unhealthy and I am just ruining my whole body. As a Christian, giving up or in to any sin is not acceptable. I have to keep trying. Overeating displeases God and it displeases me. Things that displease God are not for our good. He isn't just making stupid rules. He has given us the best way to live.

 

[Arabhorselover]

I certainly agree with you that is best for our bodies not to overeat. I've been in and out of OA for quite a few years now. I have not made mush progress when I've been there, but is a nice place to be. I struggle a lot, though, with whether it is the right place for me to be. I can't just blindly accept the 12 steps as the only way to deal with an addiction. I see many good things about them, but certain things I question. Do you have any experience with OA?

It is a long process to trust God, to put your trust in Him. I never grew up in a Christian home, and wasn't born again until I was 43, and trust has never been my strong suit, but gradually I have been getting some better at it. My Christian friends have alot to do with that, always reminding me to trust God for this or for that. I need that reminding.
Comfort from food can also be physical, not just to feed your spirit. Because your body is so used to having it whenever you feel overwhelmed, angry, anxious, etc. etc. your body is used to its quick fix from food to quiet these emotions. I used to think I had low blood sugar and that is why I got shakey and had some confusion because often I wasn't upset about anything and still felt awful in this way, but Im beginning to learn that it is part of the addiction to food. Because I didn't like that feeling I would get some goodies when I was out and eat and then the guilt would come. The guilt is not worth the overeating and the junk food anymore. It is worse than not eating when I feel like it. The guilt just happens to come after the joy and fun of overeating, like any other sin there is. Its always fun at first.
After I more and more abstain from overeating or eating for comfort, the body will reset itself and food will take its proper place and I shouldn't have these physical symptoms anymore. My body will adjust to smaller meals and the times of meals eventually.
So at first it was for comfort from emotions and then the trick came and I began to eat to stop feelings of not eating. That is addiction. Just the way drugs and alcohol first starts and ends up also. No food becomes enough food. I was so tired of the merry-go-round. My feet and legs hurt, my job is on my feet, back hurts, and my clothes are all so tight its ridiculous and unhealthy and I am just ruining my whole body. As a Christian, giving up or in to any sin is not acceptable. I have to keep trying. Overeating displeases God and it displeases me. Things that displease God are not for our good. He isn't just making stupid rules. He has given us the best way to live.

 

[amadeus2]

Well, this all started when I was in junior high. I am almost 52 now. I worry about the weight in regard to my health, but that is not the main reason I want to stop the behavior. Mostly I feel guilty about it, and feel it comes between God and I.

Recognizing that it can come between you and God, I believe, sets you on the right track. Your first priority needs to be God, but as I guess you have already learned, in order to please God, you must properly handle whatever He has given you. We are presently only stewards (caretakers) of what He has given us, but we do have hopes of being advanced from stewards to heirs...

 

[Arabhorselover]

I assume you are referring to my body - His temple?


QUOTE=amadeus2;211253]
Recognizing that it can come between you and God, I believe, sets you on the right track. Your first priority needs to be God, but as I guess you have already learned, in order to please God, you must properly handle whatever He has given you. We are presently only stewards (caretakers) of what He has given us, but we do have hopes of being advanced from stewards to heirs...[/QUOTE]

 

[amadeus2]

I assume you are referring to my body - His temple?

You have it right! Give God the glory!

Solomon was amazed that the God of everything could somehow dwell even that beautiful temple that he built, but then we have a temple greater than that one, not made by Solomon and his followers, but by God without hands. Yes, that is the temple, of which I speak. In this temple, God is to dwell, if we will allow it!

 

[Arabhorselover]

Well, I haven't taken very good care of his temple. I have never cared enough about myself to do that.

You have it right! Give God the glory!

Solomon was amazed that the God of everything could somehow dwell even that beautiful temple that he built, but then we have a temple greater than that one, not made by Solomon and his followers, but by God without hands. Yes, that is the temple, of which I speak. In this temple, God is to dwell, if we will allow it!

 

[Trisha]

Paul cared nothing about himself either. But he knew God cared about him and what he did. God cares for you and he wants you to take care of what he has given you, one thing is your body. He wants no other gods before Him either. I know it is hard when you are addicted to food. I have never gone to OA, but I have read the 12 steps. It is true we are powerless against addiction. We need the desire to please God first. I always wanted to get thin before, and that is why I could never stop eating. I didn't see it as sin. I was not putting God at the center of what I was doing. I am doing this for Him, for myself I just couldn't do it, I don't think highly of myself enough to do it just for me.
It is still, like any sacrifice, a hard thing to do, thats why its called a sacrifice. It was not easy for Jesus to go to the cross, He asked His Father if there was any other way to let him off the hook, but there was no other way, so he was obedient and did what he came to do. I have to do this. Im not going to go on sinning by overeating. Maybe you just have to come to a place where God is your biggest desire. He is all that I have, and I am determined to please Him. I hope you find your way to that point also.

 

[Arabhorselover]

Well, since I have not been able to stop this for myself, I would say that I have to want to stop it for God. I am trying to get there.

I believe it is sin, and I believe that God would want me to stop for various reasons. I do think he involved himself in individual people's lives.

My husband does not understand what I'm so worried about. I have been driving him crazy with this for a long time. He doesn't believe anyone would go to hell for overeating. If they did, then most of the people in this country are going there. He doesn't think I do put food before God, since I don't stay home and eat instead of going to church, for instance.

This is all so confusing sometimes. I sometimes wish I was one of those people who just doesn't worry about these things.
Thank you for trying to help me, Trisha.

Lisa



QUOTE=Trisha;211267]Paul cared nothing about himself either. But he knew God cared about him and what he did. God cares for you and he wants you to take care of what he has given you, one thing is your body. He wants no other gods before Him either. I know it is hard when you are addicted to food. I have never gone to OA, but I have read the 12 steps. It is true we are powerless against addiction. We need the desire to please God first. I always wanted to get thin before, and that is why I could never stop eating. I didn't see it as sin. I was not putting God at the center of what I was doing. I am doing this for Him, for myself I just couldn't do it, I don't think highly of myself enough to do it just for me.
It is still, like any sacrifice, a hard thing to do, thats why its called a sacrifice. It was not easy for Jesus to go to the cross, He asked His Father if there was any other way to let him off the hook, but there was no other way, so he was obedient and did what he came to do. I have to do this. Im not going to go on sinning by overeating. Maybe you just have to come to a place where God is your biggest desire. He is all that I have, and I am determined to please Him. I hope you find your way to that point also.[/QUOTE]

 

[amadeus2]

Well, I haven't taken very good care of his temple. I have never cared enough about myself to do that.

Just remember that the today is the day that the Lord hath made. Yesterday is gone and we cannot change it:

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Ps 118:24 (KJV)

"Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles." Matt 6:34 (Weymouth)

 

[Trisha]

Arabhorselover, I think you will eventually come to the point of wanting to please God more than wanting to overeat. What is food compared to God? Your husband doesn't understand about food coming before God. Its not about church attendance, although if it did keep a person home from church to eat it might be part of it. Its alot more than this. Its about relying on food to meet any of our needs other than the physical need to eat to survive. If we rely on it for our emotional needs instead of heading off to our rooms to get alone with God to talk about how we feel to Him and then asking and allowing Him to help us with situations, then food becomes a god. We don't eat just because we love to eat, an addict eats because it is a way of life, habit formed from doing it over and over. We need to take everything to the Lord in prayer and trust that He will work on our behalf. This is a head/heart problem, which turns into an addiction.
When I came to Christ I made a no turning back commitment. Now I am making another commitment in that I will try my hardest with His help to stop turning to food when my nerves are jangled, when I had a bad day at work or with a neighbor, when I am bored, sad, or lonely. Most of an addicts big eating is done in private, although if there are other addicts they will be partners in crime. We need the Lords strength every day. I ask Him for that before I get out of bed in the morning. I want small portions of different foods, no going back for seconds and no eating for emotional reasons. I want to go to my "prayer closet" when Im having a hard time with life. Whatever you do, do it as to the Lord, and this includes nourishing the body.
If you have others in the family it can be harder because I can keep what I want to in the house. I keep temptation out of my house and I don't have much money so buying junk or unhealthy snacks isn't in my budget, thankfully. Call it temptation, not chips, etc. We are supposed to resist temptation and it will flee from us,,,,well I also flee from temptation, that is how I resist it. Thats not to say that you can never have anything good, but have it if you are out so there is only one serving once in awhile, you can't get your hands on it when you are at a weak spot. The Lord is our HELPER, not the DO IT ALL FOR YOU. I used to think, why doesn't he just take it away, but I look to the hills, from whence cometh my help. God and I are in it together, I co-operate with Him. I have literally taken off out of the grocery store fast to get away from all the junk in there because I thought of God and asked for strength.

I know everyone is different and it is a personal journey so just sharing this. This is how Im doing it now.....I eat flesh and bread for breakfast and supper (as in the Bible days) and midday I have whatever vegetables I have, because I don't like vegetables and do not see them as lunch, they are a necessity, otherwise I would never eat these healthy foods. The other night I had pizza, the dough was the bread (any starch), there was chicken on it (flesh) and if a vegie like spinach is thrown in, all the better,,,,but it must be starch and protein for breakfast and supper(if any vegetables in this meal thats' perfectly fine). For the two meals you have three rules, bread, flesh, and portion control. This works for me, and might not for others....my main problems are junk food and portion control. I already mentioned about the junk food and for regular meals, I use a smaller plate, and take a serving but eat less than is on the plate (this serves two purposes, eating less and breaking the clean your plate rule some of us had while growing up). Mostly my prayer is "Lord help me, help me, help me." when I am feeling down and out or deprived. I had a quarter of an English cucumber cut up with wedges of apple in a bowl at noon. That is all. Not lunch, just vegetable matter. Not my choosing so another sacrifice to the Lord. I choose Him. Today Im off to the store to get a variety of vegetables, none of which I like, but it is for the temple. For me personally, I don't need dessert, that is the weight part, just added calories with not much nutrition usually. I might want it, but thats the sacrifice I am making for God in making this temple His and not mine. We don't belong to ourselves if we are part of the body of Christ,,,the bible says we belong to Him and to each other. How can I serve Him if I am sick or even sick of myself?
Write me again Arabhorse if you find any of this helpful. I wish I could start a class on this as it tells in the Bible gluttony is a sin but it doesn't tell the causes or how to quit it. I think God will lead you into how you can do this. The book I mentioned gave me some insight and some good info for a good start on this journey. "I choose Him" will be my new motto. I say it outloud at the food,,,silly,,,I know,,,but seems to work.

 

[Lanolin]

Hmm just reading this...Jesus fasted for 40 days...the very first thing the devil tempted him was with food. He said you can make these stones into bread...!

Well the bible tells us Jesus wasnt fooled into eating rocks!