‘It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.’ Proverbs 25:27(NLT)
‘They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ‘ Philippians 3:19-20(NLT)
It’s interesting how God works in our lives. As I began studying to write this reading plan, I looked at the list of “deadly sins” and thought to myself when I looked at gluttony, “Well, there’s one I don’t have to worry about!” Then as I dug into it, I realized that I am just as vulnerable to gluttony as any of the rest of these sins.
I originally checked off the overeating thing. I thought that other than Thanksgiving and a few other scattered times during the year, I don’t do that. Yet, as I looked closer, I think that “pursuit of pleasure” part of gluttony hit me square between the eyes. There are foods I crave and when they are in front of me, it is difficult to not overeat. Later I am miserable. The only way my overeating affects Nancy is that she has to hear me moan and grown into the night.
I think where it can affect our marriage and yours is in the pursuit of pleasure. In the world we live in, that is easy to get caught up in. Whether it is food, drink, wealth or some other pleasure. It’s interesting that King Solomon back in the early part of the Old Testament also struggled with almost every kind of pleasure imaginable. He even had seven hundred wives and 300 concubines. I can’t even begin to address that! The bottom line for King Solomon though was this: With all the excesses, with all the pleasures, with all the gluttony, he said these words, “Everything is meaningless.” Wow!
The bottom line is this: We have a God that loves us more than we could ever know. He has given us marriages to enhance our lives and to help us learn the joys of relationship. The world has pleasures. Many of them are fine as long as we keep them in perspective and see them as gifts from God. Solomon took it too far expecting all the gluttonous pleasures to bring him great pleasure and found that they did not. Without God, pleasures are meaningless and gluttony is a dead end street. The pursuit of pleasure can take us out of our marriages and all the dreams we had of having an Awesome Marriage.
Today’s Challenge:
When do you put your marriage aside for other pursuits?
Going Deeper:
1. What are the images that come into your mind when you hear the word gluttony?
2. How does gluttony become a heart issue?
3. Which of these pursuits are you most vulnerable to?
- Food
- Drink
- Wealth
4. What areas of pursuit do you need to address?
from Seven Deadly Sins And Your Marriage by Dr. Kim Kimberling