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Proverbs 30:8-9 “Remove far from me vanity and lies, give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me lest I be full, and deny thee and say, who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

 This time we need to talk about greed (gluttony) or eating too much, as we have seen gluttony is an umbrella term that includes overeating, drinking too much, or an excessive focus on foods or drinks. Setting our mind in too much eating is more than overweight. A thin person can also be a glutton. Our hearts attitude determines whether placed too high a priority on the pleasures of the palate; Focusing on food can affect us physically. It may result in illness, cause lethargy, dull our senses and even reduce our mental capacities, making us unable to make wise choices. Overindulging in alcoholic beverages will impact relationships, emotions, inhibitions, and reasoning abilities. Proverbs 20:1 “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

Most important a misplaced priority on food or drink of any kind can affect us spiritually and even be fatal to our spiritual growth when we look to anything other than God through Christ as our source of satisfaction, we will inevitably be disappointed. And as others witness our choices, what will they conclude about the value we place our relationship with God through Christ?

Enjoying food and drinks is not a sin. God gave us these gifts for our pleasure. However, when that pleasure turns into excess or we turn to it for comfort instead of seeking God, then we are in trouble. So, to avoid or overcome gluttony, we must practice self-control, which is part of the fruit of the Spirit, or self-discipline, means controlling the desires of the flesh rather than allowing them mastery over us. But this can’t be done apart from the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace. Longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.”