Not Even Hungry

Genesis 3:6 "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

Just about any modern moral topic can be discussed from the experiences of our early ancestors. The wisest man on earth often said "there is nothing new under the sun!"

There are many lessons which can be learned from the above passage. Today, we will discuss "not even hungry".

God supplied every need for his children. After all, they lived in Paradise, a spiritual utopia without sickness, death, nor hunger. Neither complained of any need at all. Neither went hungry. Fruits and nuts as well as every herb was available right there in the Garden! However, there is always a "however"; Eve went shopping. Her intention was to merely "admire the forbidden tree!

Now think of yourself. You go to the grocery store "not even hungry" and come back with delights for for the most discerning Epicurean. It may be chips, ice cream, chocolates, fancy breads, or whatever is your weakness. You know that if you est these things that you WILL get fat! Regardless, you buy those things when you're "not even hungry!" You think "I will eat them in moderation" and as you check out, there is a sense of guilt because you KNOW that you just lied to yourself! Incidentally, eating an additional 500 calories over a 24 hour period is no different than eating 500 calories in one sitting!

Most people behave this way. Most people have little will power! Guess what? Adam and Eve were much like you!

Eve stood under the tree, examined it, then thought: "it looks good to eat", "it appeals to me" and "I'm too intelligent to let it harm me'! When people stand in the grocery line full of snacks, it's the same things they think!

Eve ate of the fruit. She was "not even hungry"! What she did was submit to temptation. She was tricked by the serpent whose virus weakened her will power. That's how Satan operates. He doesn't kill you with sin. You do that! He just weakens you with his rebellious virus!

When you linger too near delightful food, you know that it will harm you. You know that you will become overweight. You may even become gluttonous! However, the serpent stands right there in the grocery line with you and weakens your will. You become powerless. No, you're not obeying Satan, he's satisfied with you "doing what's right in your own eyes" or in the case of food, "appeasing your idol the flesh"! Ironically, as you appease your own flesh, you make it sick by making it obese. Slowly you kill your own idol "the flesh"!

You appease your self although you know that you will die sooner, because you put your own desires over what is sane! I often wonder "When is the point of no return?" Putting it another way, "At what excess weight and poor health is it that people think 'I'm happy knowing I'm getting really fat, and I don't care that it's killing me?" When you get to that point that "you don't care!" the serpent has sprayed his venom to the extent that you merely wait on death!

Eve ate of the fruit when she was "not even hungry"! Likewise, if this applies, you also eat when you're "not even hungry"! Your will power is stung by the snakes virus and you begin to slowly die. For awhile you die slowly, but with time you actually kill your own idol, yourself! Satan smiles because you "are doing what you want to do" without regard to God's will for you,

I mentioned gluttons. No one thinks "I am a glutton!" They merely think "others are gluttons, I merely overeat sometimes". That's the same as Eve thinking "I won't surely die!" She lied to herself as the serpent prompted her and she was happy living the lie! No one wants to die, but most people kill themselves with heart trouble, diabetes, stress and other over-indulging outcomes.

"Overeating" sounds so benign! Most people admit to that. However, people never think of themselves as "gluttons"! That's merely people who overeat. You can tell who they are: It's people with plump gods and goddesses.

Phillipians 3:19  "Whose (enemies of the Cross) end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)"

Yep. Glutton's gods and goddesses are their bellies, but more so their own taste buds. It's their taste buds which becomes their god and is their idol. The belly is their serpent, because they are deceived by it. "I'm hungry!" the belly growls. and then people respond "I will eat good things!"  You were just a little uncomfortable, but now you have an excuse to over-indulge! You are in denial. You know the truth, but you lie to yourself. "This won't hurt me! I won't surely die." Now you have become a naive child of your own god.

That does sound cruel. However, it's true. I overeat at times. I'm therefore a glutton sometimes. I never feel good about it because it's not only spiritually unhealthy, but it's stupid to slowly kill myself. Few babies are born obese. When I looked at myself in the glass, I thought "When did I turn thin Larry to fat Buddha?" That's when my will power was strengthened. I don't want to look like Buddha and I don't want to die young! God strengthened my will power. He validated that the hunger (sic) I feel will pass. He showed me that those cup-cakes were sacrifices to my false god.

His Holy Spirit comforted me while I was being uncomfortable. True; for a while changing eating habits is uncomfortable! He is my Comfort!

Gluttony is a grievous sin because it's appeasing your own flesh! That's not my opinion; it's what God said! I'm the mere messenger of truth which most will reject, because like Adam, they deny their sin: "Eve beguiled me!" or in this case "I was hungry! I'm not gluttonous!"

Now when I catch myself eating when I'm "not even hungry" I feel bad, but rather than self-appeasement, I ask for comfort when I pray "Lord, take this desire from me!" and he does it. Sometimes I fail, but if we are committed to his will, he will not allow us to fail!

Sometimes we need to fast, to appease the One True God!