Killing Your Own Idol; Yourself

     There is high correlation between obesity and self-indulgence. People seldom look at obesity as a spiritual problem, but most likely it is. For those born with a genetic inclination or hormonal imbalance, this is not pointing a finger at you. However, even they can limit their degree of self-indulgence.
     Gluttony is a serious spiritual problem, and not something to minimize by making the obvious amusing. On the other hand, a person's value is not determined by their fitness. All soul's have the same value to God regardless as to how large they are. On the other hand, a  big body doesn't mean a big soul. It is my guess that all souls are the same spiritual size, but their contents vary according to their relationship with Christ.
     Because we are imperfect beings, even Christians have sin co-existing with the Holy Spirit. Because of God's grace, He overlooks that imperfection, knowing full-well it will be corrected with glorification. Christians still do unrighteous things, but there is a check-valve which governs the spiritual "system."
     Conviction is when the Holy Spirit rebukes the thinking, behavior, and attitude of those Christians who sin. Guilt is the period of time between conviction and correction. Asking for forgiveness with the intent of continuing on his frivolous. Guilt will continue until a person changes, becomes acclimated to it, or dies.
     Acclimation to sin is what scripture calls "strongholds."

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor 10:3-5)

    Strongholds are things that are placed higher in importance than God's will, according to Paul in the passage above. He uses strongholds, imaginations, and captivity to our thoughts in the same breath. If Christians fantasize about licentious things, eventually they will actually fornicate or whatever fantasy it is. The things of the world titillate even Christians to pull them away from God's authority.
     For instance, the packaging of tobacco products, and especially alcohol, are works of art. The media shows beautiful people drinking adult beverages and smoking. The message is that you too can be a beautiful and social person if you only use those products. The world uses your brain against you; your thoughts are their thoughts because the world is the author of them. The best way to avoid tobacco or alcohol addictions is to not use tobacco or alcohol. Add to that, any type of addictive substance no matter how benign. Why so? Even non-addictive substances can be psychologically addictive.
     The problems with food in our society are many: (1) It is necessary for nourishment, (2) it is readily available, (3) the taste is proportional to its unhealthy ingredients, and (4) it can be consumed without limit. God wants us to be nourished. He has provided much food to the Christian or western world. All that God created was "very good" (Gen 1:31). He created animals for our companionship and herbs for mankind to eat. Obviously, an herbal diet was enough for sustenance. We were designed to be herbivorous. On the other hand, God's remnant needed to be strong enough to replenish the earth. With that said, God ordained the eating of meat, and humankind became carnivores:

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. (Gen 9:3-4).

     There are two things implied therein: (1) Strength was needed in this new world, and meat would provide that strength. Since God ordained it, meat was also "very good.". On the other hand, God issued a caution: (2) Not to eat of the blood of the animals. Why is that?

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Lev 17:11).

     Blood is not for nourishment, but only for atonement. Jews eat kosher food because of that. I was brought up to eat meat well-done to purify the blood within the meat. (It is dangerous to eat uncooked me, and God knew that. For the Jews to multiply God wanted to keep them healthy and holy.) Honoring that command is obedience to God; disregarding it is insolence. Not by coincidence eating undercooked steak is the source of most blood. The calories in blood are 82% from fat ("Nutritional Information, Diet Info and Calories in Blood Sausage (blood Pudding)"; Fitbit). Red meat is fattening and most obese people, I believe, thrive on red meat.
     Due the connection between red meat and God's command, it would seem that a diet low in red meat and especially rare meat would be both healthy and honorable to God. Mankind's diet in Noah's day went from "very good" to not quite so good but recommended to populate the world in the new environment. Most rich foods contain animal by-products. As a child bacon grease was the foremost ingredient in all southern cooking. (There is a reason that swine is not kosher eating, and was forbidden in scripture. Bacon is delicious but certainly not "very good.")
     French food, the most calorific, is often thickened with blood, which has been pointed out, is mostly fat. That is their "bacon grease." My point is that although meat-eating is ordained by God, there are consequences of too much of a good thing: sacrificially blood is good because it is the atonement for sin, but for nourishment it can kill. Overdosing on blood can kill because too much iron, for instance is toxic. There is a gradient between "good" and "toxic". Somewhere in between is "moderation."
     Lack of moderation is the problem with eating. Unlike other addictions, food addicts must still eat. A little food is good, and too much addictive. Moderate eating is the optimal. How much should one eat? Enough to nourish. Eating beyond that amount is both unhealthy and unrighteous. People never think about overeating as sinful but it is:  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 3:10). I submit overeating is not done to the glory of God but to the gluttony of your "god"; that is yourself. People overeat to appease their idol. I understand that because I often do that, and God tells me about it!
     Let me point out that being undernourished is not to the glory of God either. Somewhere between nourished and gluttony is the optimum. God even gave us a scale on which to evaluate our priorities. Our scales weigh not only our masses but our spiritual obedience. For instance, I crave pizza. When I eat pizza, it is not for nourishment but to appease me. My "god" is demanding and pizza is readily available and a perfect fat offering. (Note that offerings were always the fatted animal.)  Admittedly, I am a pizza glutton, and I am working on that sin.  Yes gluttony is sinful: "They are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly" (Phil 3:18:19). Jesus was accused of being a winebibber and a glutton because throughout the Bible gluttony is the spiritual equivalent to drunkenness (Luke 7:34).
     When it is written, "their God is their belly," it means just that; gluttons appease their flesh by overeating. That is as bad as becoming drunk to overcome tribulation rather than allow the Comforter to be the one comforting. People even have "comfort food." That is food high in calories and fat which seemingly placates their "god" but really makes the person feel guilty.
    What is eating in moderation? Eating healthy and enough for sustenance. Sustenance is when the intake is sufficient to supply the calories for the person's lifestyle. Athletic people can eat more. I started to write indulge more but indulge is for pleasure. We should never eat for pleasure although what we eat can provide pleasure if prepared right. Pleasure is good as well. God made it "very good." On the other hand, the Serpent made pleasure very bad if done for wrong reasons. If people eat for pleasure, their taste buds becomes their god, I suppose the belly does as well! Even Buddha seemed to worship his belly.
     What is the take-away from this commentary? Moderation. "Very good" things are only good if done in moderation. Extravagance is sinful. Satan proposes that people live extravagantly as if tomorrow will never come. Look back to your youth: Did you ever think that you would neglect yourself this way? Overeating, although indulging oneself, is neglecting the temple of God which is your body (1 Cor 6:19). Two weeks ago I examined my temple. I didn't like what I saw either physically or spiritually. Thus, I have corrected my gluttony and now think about God much more than my belly (or taste buds which is most often the case).
     I feel better physically, and I believe a continuation will lead to a longer life. God doesn't want us to die but we want to kill our own little god while asking the real God to save it. People our foolish in their thinking! For those who seek a bountiful eternal life, they don't show it by over-indulging in this life!