Slideshow image

The Poison of Gluttony

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.                              1 Corinthians 10:31

Before the fall of Rome, the Romans were known for gluttony, immorality, and drunkenness. They dug their grave with their teeth, killed themselves by illicit indulgence, and embalmed themselves with alcohol. It is said that, at their sumptuous banquests, men would rush to the windows, eject the contents of their stomachs, and then return to the table for further indulgence. No individual or nation given to drunkenness and gluttony can expect the blessing of God. Rome fell because she overstuffed her body and starved her soul.

Such gluttony is a perversion of a natural, God-given appetitie. The gratification of our fleshly appetities is not to receive first importance in our lives. When we cater to the appetites of the flesh--when a normal hunger is extended into abnormality so that it harms the body, dulls the mind, and causes us to neglect the soul--we become guilty of the sin of gluttony.

When we acknowledge and confess our sin, Jesus will forgive the past and give us power of self-discipline, temperance, and restraint for the days ahead.

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.