Prayer For Self-Control Over Gluttony

Gluttony

From Conservapedia

A personification of gluttony.

Gluttony is the inability to resist one's appetite. According to the Bible, gluttony is a sin.[1] In addition, according to Roman Catholic theology, gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Today, it is most associated with overeating, but in Medieval times, drunkenness was considered a prominent form of gluttony (this might explain why the punishment for gluttons in Dante's Inferno is eternal rain).

In modern times, the categorisation of alcohol abuse as gluttony could also be extended to encompass addiction to drugs as well. Gluttony is the primary cause for the obesity crisis in America.

Atheism and gluttony

Stephen Fry is a homosexual and an atheist.

See also: Atheism and gluttony and Atheism and hedonism and Atheism and obesity

Atheists engage in denialism concerning the existence of sin and indicate that sin does not exist. For example, the atheist PZ Myers, who has possesses excess body weight (see: Atheism and obesity), denies the validity of the concept of original sin.[2]

Gallup Poll on the health habits of the very religious, moderately religious and non-religious

According to the Gallup Inc., “Very religious Americans are more ly to practice healthy behaviors than those who are moderately religious or nonreligious.”[3]

Studies on religion and self-control

In the journal article Religion, self-regulation, and self-control: Associations, explanations, and implications, psychologists McCullough and Willoughby theorize that many of the positive links of religiousness with health and social behavior may be caused by religion's beneficial influences on self-control/self-regulation.[4][5] Furthermore, a 2012 Queen's University study published in Psychological Science found that religion replenishes self-control.[6][7] Also, numerous studies indicate that those who engage in regular spiritual practices have lower mortality rates.[8][9] See also: Atheism and hedonism

Lesbianism and obesity

See also: Lesbianism and obesity and Atheism and obesity

In April 2007, the American Journal of Public Health analyzed data from 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and the data suggested that American lesbian women were 2.69 times more ly to be overweight and 2.47 times more ly to be obese than all other female sexual orientation groups.

[10] (photo obtained from Flickr, see license agreement)

The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans, “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Romans 1:26-27).

Concerning lesbianism and obesity, in April 2007, the American Journal of Public Health analyzed data from 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and the data suggested that American lesbian women were 2.

69 times more ly to be overweight and 2.47 times more ly to be obese than all other female sexual orientation groups.

[10] The abstract for this study indicated that “lesbians are at greater risk for morbidity and mortality linked to overweight and obesity.” [10]

In 2009, the PubMed article abstract for the Polish psychiatry journal Psychiatria Polska article Body Image in Homosexual Persons declared:

“

Homosexual women are less concentrated on physical appearance and more satisfied with their bodies while being more tolerant to obesity…. For lesbian women the ideal body image is more massive than for heterosexual women.[11]

”

In 2007, a purported lesbian wrote to Andrew Sullivan, the political commentator and administrator of The Daily Dish blog:

“

And – oh heck, I'll admit it – aesthetics have value, too! As a woman, I may not be as focused on looks as men are predisposed to be, but I sure am tired of seeing so many queer ladies out there who are way past 200 pounds. Way, way past. Sorry, but no amount of “fat acceptance” is going to make that a pleasant sight – gay, straight, butch, femme, male or female.[12]

”

References

1. ↑ Bible verses on gluttony
2. ↑ Who Cares?, PZ Myer at the Pharyngula, October 25, 2014
3. ↑ //www.gallup.com/poll/145379/Religious-Americans-Lead-Healthier-Lives.

   aspx

4. ↑ Religion, Self-Regulation, and Self-Control: Associations, Explanations, and Implications
5. ↑ Religion, Self-Regulation, and Self-Control: Associations, Explanations, and Implications
6. ↑ Religion Replenishes Self-Control, Psychological Science, June 2012 vol. 23 no. 6 635-642, Kevin Rounding, Albert Lee, Jill A.

   Jacobson and Li-Jun Ji at Queen’s University

7. ↑ Study finds religion helps us gain self-control
8. ↑ Religious involvement and mortality: a meta-analytic review. McCullough ME, Hoyt WT, Larson DB, Koenig HG, Thoresen C., Health Psychol. 2000 May;19(3):211-22.

9. ↑ The role of spirituality in health care, roc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2001 October; 14(4): 352–357.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Overweight and Obesity in Sexual-Minority Women: Evidence From Population-Based Data, Ulrike Boehmer, Deborah J. Bowen, Greta R. Bauer, American Journal of Public Health, 2007 Jun;97(6):1134-40. E pub 2007 Apr 26.

11. ↑ //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19694404?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1
12. ↑ //andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/05/obesity_and_les.html

Источник: //www.conservapedia.com/Gluttony

9 Powerful Prayers for Gluttony

Having self control is just one characteristic that God calls us to possess. Sometimes our desires outweigh our good conscience and sensibility. These powerful prayers for gluttony will help you to seek strength and relief from the Lord so that you can remain obedience and faithful.

Prayer #1

Heavenly Father I come to You to pray for self-control, which is one of the precious ‘fruit-of-the-Spirit’. Lord I am overweight and know that I eat more that I should, which demonstrates that I am lacking in this beautiful gift of self-control.

Lord I know in my heart that there is no satisfaction in food, (or anything else for that matter), and that my gluttony only exposes the idolatrous nature in me, for which I repent. I am asking that in the power of Your Holy Spirit.. You would help me to become a more self-controlled person in my eating habits.

Lord I know that I am not able to live a godly, self-controlled life in my own strength but You have said in Your Word that You have provided all I need to live godly in Christ Jesus. Help me I pray to appropriate all that I have in Christ, to walk in spirit and truth, to mortify this appetite for food and to depend on You to deliver me from this bondage to sin.

I pray that You finish the good work in me that You started when I first believed in the Lord Jesus as my Saviour – and I will give You all the praise and glory, Amen.

Prayer #2

Heavenly Father, I confess to You that I have become what can only be described as greedy and gluttonous and am ashamed that I have allowed my compulsive eating habit to become so out-of-control. I am so ashamed of my life and so sorry that I have allowed this obsession with food to take such control over my life – and it causes me much shame and heartache.

Forgive me I pray and help me Lord to break free from my over-eating. Help me to overcome this eating disorder I pray, for I know that without Your help and strength I will not be able to permanently break free.

I was reading the Bible Lord, and when I read that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, it made me realise that my gluttony has wider implications than I had realised, for it shows a shocking disrespect for You and for the body that You have given me.

Lord I know that Your grace is sufficient to for all my needs, and that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.. and Lord my weakness has to do with eating too much food – but I do believe that Your grace is sufficient to help me though this.. and so I pray that You would give me the grace and help to me to break free this sinful habit of ungodly gluttony.

Thank You Lord for Your promises of sufficient grace and mercy to help in this time of need and I ask for Your daily guidance to overcome and strengthen my resolve to step away from over-eating into temperance and grace.

Prayer #3

Father, it is written in Your Word that if I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved. Father, I am Your child and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord over my spirit, my soul and my body. I make Him Lord over every situation in my life. Therefore, I can do all things through Christ Jesus Who strengthens me.

Father, I have made a quality decision to give You my appetite. I choose Jesus rather than the indulgence of my flesh. I command my body to get in line with Your Word. I eat only as much as is sufficient for me. I eat and am satisfied.

Christ the Messiah will be magnified and get glory and praise in this body of mine and will be boldly exalted in my person. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name! Hallelujah! Amen.

Prayer #4

Lord, forgive me, I have become addicted to food. I never thought this was possible but I have discovered that my excessive eating and obesity is simply a result of being addicted to food.

Lord I want to change my life and make it count for You and while I make food the god of my life, I know that You are not in Your rightful position. Thank You for bringing me to an understanding that my weight problem was much more than simply eating too much food, but has become a substitute for You in my life.

Lord I have no right to expect You to help me in this addiction – but I know that You are a gracious God Who forgives His children when they recognise their sin and confess their faults to YOU and turn from their wicked ways and place You back in Your rightful place.

I realise that during the time that I have made food the god in my life, my relationship with You has been suffering..

I now realise that I have been fellowship with You Lord, for a long time – but You are a gracious God, Who has promised that if Your children confess their sin – in the quietness of our heart, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – which places us back into a right relationship with You.

Thank You that I have restored my fellowship with You Father, by simply admitting my sin – help me now to overcome this weight problem I have – and I will give You all the praise and all the glory – in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Prayer #5

Loving Lord, I need Your help to bring my eating habit under control so that I may be freed from excess eating and enabled to get my weight under control.

I ask that You would help me to gain the victory over this sin of gluttony, for I know that without Your sufficient grace and help I will not be able to curb my excessive appetite.

Lord it is my desire to live a life that is honouring to You and I cry out to You to help me Lord, for without You I can only fail. But thanks be to God that I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength.

Lord I am seeking You with my whole heart and I realise that what is impossible for me to achieve in my own strength is possible with You. Help me to eat my food with integrity and in a manner that is pleasing to You.. and prevent me from finding excuses to over-indulge, knowing that to do so is not only lying to myself.. but also to You.

Father as I come before You to ask for victory over my sin of gluttony I thank You for what You are doing in my life and pray that as I discipline my body to eat appropriately, so that I may live in holiness and righteousness in every area of life. This I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Prayer #6

Deliver me I pray from my over-eating, which I confess can only be called “gluttony”. Lord I know that this is a habit that I have allowed to develop in my life, which has almost become an obsession – and I pray that in Your grace You would enable me to break free from my eating compulsion and receive full and lasting deliverance.

Lord I have used food as a comfort and as a prop when I have felt alone and miserable, and it is causing my weight to increase which makes me more miserable and causes me to want to eat more – and Lord I am in a bad state, and am asking for Your help in this.

I pray that in Your love and grace You would deliver me from this horrid cycle of comfort eating and help me to gain a healthy balance in what I eat.. so that I eat food in order to live rather then live in order to eat food.

Help me I pray to have the resolve to eat and drink wisely and in a manner that is honouring to You – for the Bible tells us that whether we eat or drink – we are to do everything to Your honour and glory. Help me to honour You in all I do and especially in my eating –this I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Prayer #7

My body is for the Lord. I dedicate my body — presenting all my members and faculties — as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to You, presenting them as implements of righteousness. I am united to You, Lord, and become one spirit with You. My body is the temple, the very sanctuary of the Holy Spirit Who lives within me, Whom I have received as a gift from You, Father.

I am not my own. I was bought for a price, made Your own. So then, I honor You and bring glory to You in my body. Therefore, I always exercise and discipline myself, bringing under authority my carnal affections, bodily appetites and worldly desires.

I endeavor in all respects to have a clean conscience, void of offense toward You, Father, and toward men.

I keep myself from idols — from anything and everything that would occupy the place in my heart due to You, from any sort of substitute for You that would take first place in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer #8

Father God, I confess that I have not honoured You with my whole body soul and spirit but have rather indulged in greediness and gluttony, which has become a thorn in my flesh.

Indeed Lord I confess that I have become a slave of my eating habits and I pray that You would help me to break this habit that is so dishonouring to You for I know that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I truly want to offer my body as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to You Lord.

Loving Lord I know that I cannot do this in my own strength but I know that by the power of Your Spirit, You can break this bondage within. Lord I acknowledge that the power of sin and death in my life was broken at the cross of Christ Jesus my Lord and I come to You in my helplessness and pray that You would enable me to break this gluttony that is destroying my life.

Lord help me I pray. Change me into the person that You would have me be in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Prayer #9

Dear heavenly Father, I have suddenly realised that eating has become a true obsession with me and I am quite shocked to realise the damage that this gluttony is doing to my body and to my relationships – including my relationship with You Lord. I ask that You would help me to break this insane craving for food and to remember that in all things, including my eating habits, I my life should glorify You.

Help me Lord to be wise in what I eat and I pray that by Your grace You would show me those foods that are detrimental to my body and that cause my moods to fluctuate so dramatically. I realise that so often it is not only my body that is affected by this obsession to eat, but my emotions are being influenced, causing me to become angry or depressed and even lazy.

Lord I know that when You are put in Your proper place in my life other things including this gluttony will also be put in the right perspective. Help me Lord and guide me to take stock of my eating habits and to break this obsession with eating and I will give You all the praise and glory, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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Self-Control Object Lesson {Joshua 7}

We live in a world where everyone does what is right in their own eyes. Self-control is not a valued character trait. Here is a fun self-control object lesson that kids can do themselves. Helping our children understand the importance of self-control is a step in the right direction on the narrow path of godliness. {Deuteronomy 5:32}

Scripture Focus:Joshua 7

Materials: a wide mouth jar or glass, a tennis ball, a plastic bowl, a toilet paper roll (make sure the ball fits into the jar. If you feel daring, use a raw egg!)

Free Poster:  Click on the image below and print.

Self-Control Object Lesson:

{Place the jar on a table. Put the bowl on top of the jar. Stand the toilet paper roll in the middle of the bowl. Place the tennis ball on top of the roll. This is a great physics experiment for teaching laws of motion. But we’re going to use it for self-control.}

Let’s predict. What do you think will happen if I knock the bowl the way? [Allow for answers.] Let’s see who is correct.

First I’m going to try to hit the bowl with a little bit of force. {With your hand about 12 inches from the bowl, slowly and lightly, move your hand to strike the bowl to the left (or right). The bowl should not move much. The ball might fall off though. But it isn’t much fun to watch.}

What happened? [Allow answers.]

{Don’t really do this next part. Allow the children to imagine.} What do you think would happen if I knocked the bowl REALLY, REALLY hard? [Everything would go flying across the room.]

So hitting the bowl with too little force, and hitting the bowl with too much force, will cause our experiment to not work correctly. I must knock the bowl with just the right amount of force. {Knock the bowl out and the tennis ball should fall right into the jar.}

Bible Lesson for Self-Control:

God used Joshua and the Israelites to destroy Jericho. One of the requirements God gave to Joshua was that none of the Israelites were to take anything from Jericho.

The next city to conquer was Ai. Joshua sent spies to the surrounding area and they were to report back to him. The report concluded that the city had few people and that only 2-3,000 soldiers were needed to destroy it. Joshua sent 3,000 men to fight. What was to be an easy battle, ended up with the Israelites retreating and 36 men dead.

Joshua, totally confused, fell on his face before the Lord. God then told him that Israel had sinned. He told Joshua that someone had taken some of the riches from Jericho. God explained to Joshua that he needed to find the man and get rid of him.

Joshua called all of Israel to come before him. By casting lots, he figured out that the man came from the tribe of Judah. By process of elimination, Achan stood before Joshua. Joshua told him, “Glorify God and confess what you have done.”

Achan replied that when he saw the spoils of Jericho, he coveted them. With a lack of self-control, he gathered up some of the riches and buried them beneath his tent.

Joshua sent messengers to go to Achan’s tent to find the spoils. They brought them back and laid them before the Lord.

So Joshua took Achan, all of the spoils from Jericho, all of his animals, his tent, and his sons and daughters, and took them outside the camp. The Israelites then stoned them to death and burned everything with fire.

Life Application for Self-Control:

When we think about this story, we must remember that God is a holy God. We must also remember the verse that states, “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

What did Achan say caused him to take the spoils of Jericho? [He coveted them.] Coveting is a sin. That’s one of the ten commandments. But he went even farther. He then broke another commandment: stealing. He did not control himself. Coveting was bad enough…but then he acted on that sin in his heart.

What is self-control? [Allow for answers; it is the ability to control ones emotions and actions]

{Set up the experiment again.} Sometimes we are this experiment. {Hit the bowl lightly.} There are times when we do not control ourselves and we are lazy. We don’t put much effort into doing something. Perhaps it is school work, or trying to do better at a sport, or reading our Bibles.

{Pretend to hit the bowl REALLY hard.} Pretend I hit this too hard. Sometimes we overindulge. Maybe you talk too much, eat too much food, act to crazy in the classroom. These examples are a lack of self-control as well. This experiment does not work well with the wrong amount of force.

What is the fruit of the Spirit? [See if they can list all 9.] Self-control comes to us from the Holy Spirit. We must ask him for help with our self-control. He is the one who helps us have just the right balance of force. {Do the experiment again with the ball landing in the jar.} We cannot have good self-control without the Holy Spirit. Our lives will only work right when we have the Holy Spirit guiding us.

{Hold up and read the poster.}

Think about the city of Ai. It didn’t have strong walls Jericho. It didn’t have many people living in it either. Ai should have been easily destroyed. That’s what a person is without self-control. You are a city that can be easily destroyed. What will destroy you? What destroyed Achan? [Sin]

Sin will destroy you. Bad choices will destroy you. Who else was destroyed by Achan’s decision to lack self-control? [his family] When we make poor decisions and show a lack of self-control, we destroy ourselves and our families.

What are some ways you lose your self-control? [Allow for answers; anger, laziness, manipulation, greediness, gluttony, etc.]

Those of use who have Jesus as our Lord and Savior have a strong wall that surrounds us. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit surround us. We are safe from the enemy when we obey God. But if we decide to step outside of the walls and do our own thing, then that is when we are defenseless and our poor decisions will hurt us and those we love.

What can we learn from Achan? If we want to be godly, then we must ask the Holy Spirit every day to give us the fruit of the Spirit, which includes self-control.

{Display the poster in the room throughout this series and read it each week.}

Other Resources for Joshua:

Prayer is how we can communicate with God. But there are times when we ask for something small when God wants to bless us with something greater. Use this object lesson to teach children from Acts 3 about Peter, John, and the lame man.

Scripture Focus: Acts 3:1-10

Materials: Inductive Bible Study Form; 3 non-seethrough cups (label them 1, 2 and 3); 1 quarter; $1 bill; $20 bill

Geography: Israel; Jerusalem

Background: On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit swooped down onto the disciples in power and over 3,000 people were added to the newly formed church.

Object Lesson for Acts 3:

{SET UP: Without the students watching, place the three cups upside down on a table. Under one place the dollar. Under another one place the $20. You will play a version of “Let’s Make a Deal.”}

{Give the students the quarter.}

You, as a group, have one quarter.

{Ask:}

• How much is that worth? (25 cents)
• Would you to have something better? Something that is worth more? (Yes)

I have three cups in front of me. You don’t know what is under them. If you want to, I am going to let you choose which cup you would , BUT you have to give me the quarter. You lose it when you give it to me. You do not HAVE to choose a cup. You CAN keep the quarter.

{If the group decides to choose a cup, take away the quarter, and here are the options for what to say. Allow the students to continue “trading” until all of the cups have been turned over.}

Empty cup– {If chosen first or after the $1 or $20 bills} You exchanged your (quarter, $1 bill, or $20 bill) and received NOTHING! Oh no! It was a risk you took and unfortunately it did not turn out well for you.

$1 cup – {If chosen first, or after the empty cup} This is better! Instead of (a quarter or nothing), now you have $1 bill! That is better. But is this the BEST that can happen?
{If chosen after the $20 bill} Oh no! You already had the BEST thing! And now you lost it. Well, $1 is better than nothing or a just a quarter.

$20 cup – {If chosen first or second.} WOW! $20! That’s better than a (quarter, $1, or nothing). I wonder if this is the best you can do? What else could be under these cups? Do you want to keep the $20 bill, or choose a new cup?
{If chosen as the last cup} WOW!! You now have the BEST! A $1 bill is better, but a $20 bill is best.

Bible Lesson for Acts 3:

After the day of Pentecost, Peter and John went to the temple to pray around 3:00 in the afternoon. At the same time, a lame man was being carried by some people and placed at his normal spot to beg for money, or alms. He was a poor man, lame from birth. The lame man saw Peter and John and asked for alms.

{Ask:}

• What does God want to do for us? Give us something better? Or give us His best? (Give us His best)

The man called out for alms and Peter replied that he had no silver or gold. How disappointing for the lame man! He needed money so he could eat, and to have a place to live. Imagine how disappointed him might have felt. He didn’t even had a quarter to exchange. He had nothing!

{Hold up the cup that had nothing under it.}

Peter continued, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I will give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and WALK!” And Peter grabbed the hand of the lame man and pulled him to his feet. The bible says that strength came immediately to his feet!

{Hold up the one dollar bill.}

The lame man wanted something better than he had. He wanted money for his immediate needs. Peter could have given him a few coins, maybe enough for dinner that night, but then the next day the man would be begging again.

{Hold up the $20 bill.}

What Peter gave, what GOD gave, was something that was BEST! After being healed, he lame man could walk, fend for himself, get a job, and do everything any other person could do. The man was so overjoyed that he went walking and leaping and praising God all the way into the temple with Peter and John.

Everyone around knew who the lame man was and praised God with him. He had sat in that begging place for years and now he was healed!

Peter noticed how all of the people were in awe and he started to preach just as he did on the day of Pentecost. He taught about the Old Testament, Jesus, Jesus dying and being raised from the dead.

Life Application for Acts 3:

In the name of Jesus, Peter healed the lame man.

{Hold up the $1 bill.}

The lame man was seeking something better than what he had.

{Hold up the $20 bill.}

But God wanted to give the lame man what was best for him: healing.

There are times when we pray to God asking Him for something that would improve our lives or the lives of people we love. Sometimes we are seek a specific answer. Usually its an answer we really want. It could be anything. A good grade on a test. A better friendship with someone. An awesome present at Christmas time.

Maybe for parents to stop fighting. Perhaps, you want to be able to read better, or work math problems better. Perhaps someone is bothering you at school. Whatever it might be that we ask from God is fine. It’s good. It is good to ask.

But what if it isn’t God’s best for us? Should we pray differently?

What if instead of asking God to do something specific, we give Him the issue and asked Him to handle it His way? For example, perhaps you ask God to help you be a better friend to someone.

That is a great request. Ask it. However, what if you said: “Lord, please help me to be a better friend to (name). But Lord, I want your best. I want Your will to be done.

If there is anything else I can do, please let me know.”

This means we have to trust God with the understanding that He loves us and desires to do what is best for us. This also means that we might have to wait for an answer.

The lame man was healed immediately, but that does not mean God will answer our prayers immediately. He might, but we can trust Him that He WILL answer.

Because of what God did, the man went walking and leaping and praising God.

Do you do that when God blesses you? Do you thank God for the good things in your life? Not just material items, but what about your family? school? church? the nation you live in? your health? the fact that you CAN walk? What about thanking God for your weaknesses? That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But scripture over and over tells us that through the weakness of people, God is strong.

{Ask:}

• When you chose a different cup, you risked losing something. What did the lame man have to lose? (Allow for answers, but probably nothing.)

When you swapped cups, you took a risk. It was risky to trade the quarter and $1 bill. It was not so risky if you had nothing.

Serving God seems risky. But in reality, everything we have belongs to God. We don’t know what He is going to do when we come to Him with our prayers, but we CAN trust Him completely. When we surrender to God, we are telling Him that He is in totally charge.

God is the only One who is completely faithful. Sometimes because of our own sin choices, we come to God with nothing and all we can do is offer ourselves….and that is what He wants. Everything!

What can we learn from Peter, John, and the lame man? Sometimes we hold out our prayers and ask from something little when God has something much bigger and better in mind for us. We must be willing to give everything to the One who is absolutely trustworthy.

Worship Song with Animation

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Get Over Your Gluttony!

The first step to recovery … blah blah blah. OK, I’m going to be real with you. I have a tendency to take the denial or excuse route when failing to resist my temptation – food.

It’s become a way to relax, a friend when I’m alone, something to do when I’m bored. It’s gotten to the point where I turn to food instead of God. I don’t worship it I do God, but I allow it to control me more than I should.

Sometimes my slip ups are conscious decisions to grab the Cheez-It box and enjoy the cheesy cracker goodness. But, my real downfall is when I mindlessly eat and eat and eat. Time flies by without me even noticing that I've reached the bottom of the box.

Those of us who are obsessed with food aren't only harming our bodies; we're also limiting our relationship with God. The only way to kick the habit is to treat it a real addiction.

Detox Yourself

“Hello, my name is ________ and I’m a foodaholic.” That’s the first step really. Admit that you run to food to ease pain or to fill a void. And It doesn’t matter if you’re a “Skinny Minnie” or 100 pounds overweight, we shouldn’t “worship” food.

There’s no sin in enjoying your delicious dishes – even if they are a little fattening. The trap clamps down when you exhibit no self-control. Overindulgence is a sin. Gluttony is clearly admonished in the Bible (Philippians 3:19). It is common sense really; people with no self-control can get themselves in to trouble.

“When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick.” Proverbs 25:16 (The Message)

The only thing we can handle too much of is God. Excessive eating only wears our bodies down and slowly eats away at our satisfaction with seeking more from the Lord. When your dependence turns from Him to food, that’s when you know you’ve got a serious problem.

Here’s a scenario: A co-worker brings in brownies for everyone to enjoy. You smell the chocolately aroma and instantly crave one. You eat it with pleasure. But, it doesn’t stop there. You have another and another.

Towards the end of the day, you get a little stressed with work and think to yourself – I deserve another. Subconsciously, you really do think that by eating another brownie everything will be better.

It’ll calm you and satisfy your need for something good.

That’s excessive. I’m not saying it’s wrong to treat yourself. But, food, food, and more food will not ultimately please you. It’s a momentary pleasure that will go straight to your hips. But more importantly, it takes the place of God – our comforter and friend.

Simply Say “No”!

Have a little self-control. This is a hard one for me. Discipline, in the area of eating at least, is not one of my strengths.

Next time, you have the urge to exceed your limitations and go for your favorite comfort food – simply say, “No!” It doesn’t even really matter what food it might be. Even if it is healthy food, such as an apple, if you gorge on them to satisfy anything but a true hunger pang, then you’re missing the point.

Allow the Holy Spirit to produce good fruit in your life… it says in Galatians 5:22-23, bear good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and SELF-CONTROL.

The following verse lays it all on the table.

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.” Galatians 5:24 (New Living Translation)

Stand up to temptation and win. Be quick to repent when you’ve preferred possessions or even people above our Heavenly Father. Take your burden for earthly desires to Him each time they arise. We’ll never be free of temptation, but God can set us free from the compelling desire to give in to it.

Remain “Sober”

Don’t just struggle to recover or stay in victim mode with the excuse, “I’ll always be this way; there’s really nothing wrong with it.” Resolve to change. Make today a turning point in your life.

When you begin to understand that food won’t satisfy your inner cravings – and shouldn’t, that’s when you can walk with God without continuous distractions.

He shouldn’t have to compete with food – or anything else – for our attention or admiration.

Share your story with others. By being accountable, through your testimony, you can reaffirm this change in your life. And even if you give in to a brownie binge, forgive yourself and just determine to resist the temptation the next time around.

Above all, keep God as your focus and rely on Him to satisfy your every need and desire.

Источник: //www.cbn.com/spirituallife/BibleStudyAndTheology/perspectives/goodwyn-gluttony.aspx