Daily Wisdom

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.” Pro 25:16

Gluttony, the permeating sin within the church; no I’m talking about an excess weight or binge-full meals at Sunday lunches.  Gluttony is not merely an addiction to food, if you look at the original definition and context, gluttony lands closer to home/church than we prefer.  Simply stated, gluttony is consumption of excess, occurring when desire overrules need. In America there has always been a desire to upgrade, yet over the last 10-20 yrs. it appears consumption is the driving force in society. The problem is desire for excess stems from a lack of satisfaction. Not content with my portion in life – be it the diner plate, marriage bed or bank accounts. And because every portion is only a finite of the whole, it’s constantly chasing an unquenchable thirst. Picture the Grand Canyon as your soul, if you try filling it with houses, cars, money, relationships, trips, etc. good luck.  In Genesis 3 we see the onset of excess in the Garden of Eden.  What was provided and offered was not enough.  God provided beauty, health, relationship and the absence of shame, guilt and sin, and it was not enough.  So they break their relationship, charge their health and encounter shame, guilt and sin, nice trade. The desire for more is not inherently bad, it’s just misdirected today.  We are losing our desire for a ravenous, relentless appetite for the Divine. Our souls (Grand Canyon) only chance is found in the goodness and presence of an all-glorious God.  There is a great and powerful effect that takes place when we taste and consume the goodness of God, the more we consume the more we acquire the desire for it.  Psa 34: 8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good…”  Unfortunately too many Christians today are more interested in quenching their thirst at a church coffee bar rather than a church pew.  God has ordained that His goodness can be tasted and seen; meaning every finite satisfaction and pleasure should point us to the infinite satisfaction and joy of God.

Is desire for excess sinful? It depends if the soul is addicted to a finite excess or an infinite excess!

HSAY…Todd