In February of 2007 someone close to me sent me an e-mail
asking for my input in regards to an issue she was struggling with.
Below is her e-mail in part stating the issues she was struggling with.
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IS OVEREATING A SIN?
I am struggling with something and would appreciate your input.
You know that I have struggled with my weight for at least 35 years. I firmly believe that it is a sin to overeat because to me that means that I have turned to food for comfort instead of to God. To me it means that I am saying to myself..."Food can comfort me and God can't". I also believe that my weight affects my witnessing ability. Because when I overeat I am being disobedient to God and of course gluttony is considered a sin in the Bible.
So here's my problem:
If a pastor stands before a congregation and he obviously has been drinking that would be considered a real problem and he would have to be confronted about it...but shouldn't the same be said if the pastor is obese? Yet the church seems to accept overeating and in fact in many cases seems to be encouraging it. In all the years I have been a Christian I don't ever remember hearing a sermon about overeating!
The pastor at our new church could stand to lose about 70 pounds. It is an issue with me. It is not a huge issue but it definitely is an issue. Here is a man who loves God. He has taken on the awesome responsibility of shepherding a church. He is serving God and has definitely impacted people’s lives and yet I focus on his weight!
On Sunday, we had a missionary come speak at the church. She was at least 150 pounds overweight if not more. That was a huge issue for me! I had a hard time hearing her message because of her weight! In order for her to get to that size she would have to be using food as her "comforter" instead of the Holy Spirit! That doesn't mean that she is unacceptable as a person but I question her qualifications to be a missionary. I guess what I am saying is that in order for a person to be in leadership he or she should not be consistently sinning.
I know we are not to judge people and at the same time I know the Bible talks about confronting people who are "sinning". When is it judging and when is it not? Don't get me wrong...I am not thinking of confronting my pastor or anyone else...I am concerned with my thinking process. How do other people feel about this issue...especially some one who does not struggle with overeating.
I also know how much of a stronghold overeating is because I have struggled with it for so long. Weight has been a defining factor in my life...I have spent years focusing on weight. If someone was to describe me...I think it might be "She is obsessed with her weight. Her happiness appears to be based on how much she weighs. Her whole life has been about her weight!" I don't want that to be my defining factor.
When I see a morbidly obese person who is not a Christian, I see a hurting person who is medicating himself to dull the pain of life. When I see a morbidly obese "Christian" I see a hurting person who is in bondage and needs to be delivered. But when I see a morbidly obese Christian who is in leadership I find myself questioning whether or not he/she should be in leadership and I really have a hard time accepting his/her message.
I am praying for God to show me where this thought process is coming from and to show me where I am wrong and how to change it.
Anyways, I await your input.
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Below is my response to her questions.
My answers were based on the Truth as written in God's word.
If you too have struggled with this issue, or know someone who has,
my prayer is that this response may give you some insight and bless you.
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Overeating – A Sin?
Views of Marilyn Warren
1. Is gluttony a sin?
Yes, I believe gluttony is a sin.
Scripture talks of gluttony as a companion to other sins such as drunkenness, laziness or disobedience to God
Deuteronomy 21:19-21 (NKJV)
“then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.”Proverbs 23:19-21 (NKJV)
Hear, my son, and be wise; and guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
However, In scripture (Ecclesiastes) there are several references to man eating and drinking, and enjoying the fruit of his labor. It is a gift from God, and it is his heritage. So if we are being productive and are honoring and obeying God, then He blesses the fruit of our labor, and blesses our food.
Exodus 23:25,26 (NIV)
Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.Ecclesiastes 9:7 (NIV)
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.
I would say this is not a license to overindulge. Eating, and being able to enjoy our food is a gift from God. He wants us to enjoy our food and be satisfied as long as we are moderate, productive and obedient to God.
We need to:
- acknowledge that the fruit of our labor (food) comes from God as a gift for us to enjoy
- give thanks to God for the food He has provided for us
- enjoy the blessings He has given us
- be obedient to God
- work and be fruitful – God does not approve of laziness. In many cases, sitting around and overeating go hand in hand. When I am reading or watching TV, that is when I feel like snacking. When I am active I tend to eat less and as a result, I feel much better. Is it possible that God is more concerned with us being inactive, unproductive, and unfruitful? Being idle often results in boredom, which may lead to overindulging ourselves in any number of ways. Concentrate on being active and productive, and possibly over eating will be easier to conquer.
2. Should a Pastor be confronted about his sin?
Yes, I believe a Pastor, as any Christian, should be confronted about his sin.
Galatians 6:1 (NIV)
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
James 5:19, 20 (NIV)
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
I would say that a Pastor, or any Christian for that matter, should be confronted about his sin. The real questions are: Who is to JUDGE that the Pastor is in sin? Who is to CONFRONT the Pastor? Do we have the right to confront or correct a spiritual father? Perhaps gluttony isn’t the issue. He could be one of those people who gains weight easily, or perhaps his problem lies more in the area of inactivity. My thought would be that the Pastor should be confronted by those in authority over him. But what if those in authority over him do not, then should someone else? My suggestion would be pray, and do not do anything until the Lord gives you clear direction on this. Any correction of a Pastor or Leader should be done only through a directive from the Lord. However, there would be nothing wrong with going to your Pastor and telling him how you are feeling about your own inability to gain victory over gluttony. Test the waters as to how he feels about being overweight. He himself may already be struggling and trying to gain victory over this area and needs your love, support and prayers. This could open up a door of communication and relationship with your Pastor. Confessing your sin to him and bringing it out in the open may defuse the power it has over you.
3. Does the Church accept overeating and encourage it?
Yes, I believe most churches accept overeating and encourage it!
In most Churches today overeating is acceptable. Have you ever heard of an acceptable sin? It is as though the Church has embraced “FEASTING” but doesn’t even want to talk about “FASTING”! In scripture God encourages both. But if we are ALWAYS feasting, and never fasting, we are likely opening doors to bondage. There is a time to feast (when we are rejoicing and celebrating) and a time to fast (when we are mourning, or desiring to crucify the flesh, or repentant of sin, or praying for something that we need victory over, or interceding for someone else). Could it be God is more concerned that we do not mourn, crucify the flesh, repent, or intercede than He is about the fact that we feast? I believe that God is restoring His Church back to the way it originally was in the book of Acts, but for the most parts, we just aren’t there yet. None of us are. So maybe we should be seeking Him, repenting, crucifying the flesh, mourning and fasting, and asking God to set the captives free, and give us power from on high to be effective witnesses.
4. Have you ever heard a sermon on overeating?
Yes, I have!
I have heard several teachings on choosing to eat healthy foods, eating in moderation, and honoring God with your body. These teachings have been given at a Christian Camp, on TV, and at several events where traveling servants are speaking. But I have not heard these unpopular teachings at most of the main line churches. Could this be because many Pastors are trying to please man and keep up attendance? Or could they be trying to please those in authority over them? Whatever the case may be, pleasing man rather than God is not a good place to be!
5. Why do I focus on his weight?
Bottom line? I believe you focus on his weight because Satan has tormented you with this for years and you yourself feel guilty and condemned. You are very sensitive about weight because you are bruised and hurting in that area yourself. You are probably wondering why God is convicting you and not him. Or if he is being convicted, why doesn’t he repent and turn from the sin? And if he is being convicted of this sin, and he can’t get victory over it, then how can you ever gain victory over this sin? It makes you angry, frustrated, and feeling perhaps a little bit hopeless. Where are the spiritual leaders who are sanctified and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit?
Also, I believe you focus on his weight because he is an effective Christian making a difference in peoples lives and Satan wants you out of there! If you are going to Church, worshipping God, being fed the Word, and really believe the Pastor is a good Godly man (to the best of his ability at this time), then likely Satan is trying to get you “OFFENDED” so you will have a reason to leave your Church and move on to another. Don’t Buy it! You must pray, and keep asking God for direction. If you believe God has led you to that Church, then begin, or continue to tithe there! That will really bless you, bless your Pastor, and really tick Satan off! Commit yourself. Put down your roots. Fellowship with other believers. Pray for your Pastor and your brothers and sisters. Connect. The Bible says “In the last days many will be offended and fall away”. Please . . . don’t buy that lie that leads to offense.
7. Do others see my overweight condition as being my defining factor?
No! No! No!
I remember when . . .
not too long ago, my x-boyfriend was taking me to court to set aside my protection order. Just 5 days before my court case I received another affidavit spewing a whole bunch of lies about me. I knew that it was too late for me to reply to those accusations. I was so angry at God. He had laid it on my heart not to get a lawyer, and to defend myself. He Himself would judge my case. I was trusting Him. This last punch in the gut was unexpected, and I was angry that God had allowed it, and wasn’t protecting me like He promised he would. I phoned you up but was so angry I could barely talk. I told you about how this new affidavit had arrived, how I didn’t have time to reply to it, and how angry I was at God for not protecting me. I was so angry, beside myself with rage, I hung up on you. I went into the kitchen and began screaming at God. The phone rang. I knew it was you, but I was too angry to talk. I continued to scream at God. After about 10 or 15 minutes of screaming and ranting and raving I finally ran out of steam. I was crying until I was all cried out. Then I thought I needed to pick up the phone and see if it was you who called, call you back because you would be worried, and apologize for venting on you. I went to the phone and picked up your message. I still remember the voice message you left me. “I know you are really angry right now, but when you calm down give me a call.” I knew that was not only a message from you, but also a message from God. I thought “I don’t deserve that”. I heard God say to me through my spirit “That is grace”.
I see you as a gracious lady. One who is calm and gentle. One who has spent many hours reading and studying the word of God. One who has spent many hours pouring love and acceptance into the lives of people who are messed up and hurting. I see you as someone who is blessed by God. He has blessed you with a good Godly husband, 3 lovely daughters, 3 lovely granddaughters, and another grandchild on the way. You are also blessed with a beautiful home, and all you could ever need or want. I see the fruit of your past labor, and I also see a bright future ahead of you, in God’s perfect will. Satan is trying to abort that. I see your heart, and so does God. That is what is important to Him, and to me. When you step into eternal life, your body will be gone. It is just your earth suit. It is not who you are, and it does not define you.
6. Should a person who is in leadership be consistently sinning?
No, they shouldn’t, and neither should any other Christian.
Hebrews 10:23-31 (NIV)
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
NOTE: I believe there is a big difference between someone who is being sanctified but has not yet reached perfection (none of us have), and someone who is willfully sinning. For those of us who struggle with addictions and bondages, we need to be delivered. Remember the apostle Paul wrote: “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” in Philippians 3:13,14 (NIV). Also remember the apostle John wrote: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. in 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)
8. Should a morbidly obese Christian be in leadership?
I really don’t know.
I think the real question should be: “Is this person in willful disobedience to God, or is he not yet completely sanctified? Is he flaunting his sin in the face of God, or is he pressing in trusting in God for deliverance?"
If he is in willful disobedience to God then he needs to be warned. If he is ignorant of his sin, then he needs to be taught. If he is pressing in and trusting God for deliverance and healing then he needs to be encouraged and upheld in prayer.
9. Where is this thought process coming from?
I believe this thought process is coming from Satan and old patterns of thinking.
I understand your desire for Godly leadership; for sanctified leadership. But this problem seems to be more an issue of weight, than of sin.
10. Are we to judge others?
Scripture tells us we are not to judge or we too will be judged.
We are to teach. We are to encourage. We are to correct. We are to warn. We are to uphold and pray for one another. We are to love one another.
Throughout the time that I have been a Christian, about 9.5 years, I have finally come to realize that none of us is perfect, we all fall short of the Glory of God, and if we say there is no sin in us, then we lie and the truth is not in us! So, having sin in me, how can I point at the speck in my brothers eye, while all along there is a plank in my own eye! I guess what I am trying to say is even Pastors, and Elders, and Leaders have sin in them.
- Remember Jesus? He never judged people. He just taught them. But Jesus was VERY BLUNT with the Pharisees, that
is the “religious” people, because they believed they kept the law and were better than everyone else.
ref.: Luke 11:37-52 (NIV)
- Remember the prodigal son? The father received the son who repented, but he rebuked the son who was self-righteous
and believed he was better than his brother. ref.: Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)
- Remember the religious man and the sinner? The Pharisee stood self-righteous before God, while the sinner repented
and asked for mercy. It was the sinner who went away justified before God. ref.: Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
- Remember the parable of the unmerciful servant? The servant that asked for mercy was shown mercy. Later, when he
refused to show mercy to a fellow servant, he was turned over to the jailers until he should pay back all that he owed.
ref.: Matt. 18:21-35 (NIV)
- Remember the scripture that says: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
ref.: 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
If your Pastor loves God, and is earnestly loving and caring for his sheep, and is over weight, I’m sure God would find that far more acceptable than someone who is disciplined in their eating, but whose heart is not for God or the flock who has been assigned to him. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.
If you drop something it is going to fall to the ground. It is the law of gravity. No matter how hard we try, that thing we drop is still going down. It is the same with sin. No matter how hard we try to conquer it, it still seems to drag us down. It is the law of sin. No matter how hard we try to obey God’s law we keep breaking it.
But if you operate under the law of lift, you can rise above the ground and soar, totally victorious over gravity. Birds do it. Planes do it. EAGLES do it. The law of lift is a higher law than the law of gravity. It is the same with grace and mercy. If you operate under the law of mercy, you can rise above judgment and soar, totally victorious over sin.
Mercy is a higher law than the law of judgment.
Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:13b (NIV)
Hallelujah! Praise God!
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Other Comments and Encouragements
Over the past several months you have been concentrating on moving, building your new home, painting, and Christmas. Satan was happy. Now you are starting to settle in and go to Church. You have read the books “Rescued”, and “Driven By Eternity” by John Bevere, which you found both convicting and encouraging. You are pursuing your God given destiny. Satan is threatened. Press in! Be an overcomer! Remember all the promises Jesus gives in Revelation chapters 2 & 3 to the 7 Churches. To him who overcomes . . .
I also encourage you to keep pressing in. Find a church. Put down roots. Tithe. Repent for not tithing. Repent for not putting God first. Get involved with your church. Go to other Christian fellowship meetings as there is safety in a multitude of counselors . Allow God to move you into the ministry he has for you.
look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Luke 21:28b (NKJV)
Recommendations:
I encourage you to reread the book by John Bevere “The Bait of Satan”. It is a book we all need to read frequently! Below are some of the things John says in his book.
- It is the duty of fathers to train and correct the children
- We are to deal with and confront those whom God has given us to train
- Those on our own level we are to encourage and exhort as brothers
- Children do not correct their fathers (I would add “without a directive from God”)
- If you are in the place where God wants you, the devil will try to offend you to get you out
- Once you leave the place God has chosen for you, your root system begins to dwarf. The next time it will be easier for you to flee from adversity because you have been careful not to root yourself deeply. You end up coming to the place where you have little or no strength to endure hardship or persecution.
- When we leave a Church offended, we then go from Church to Church looking for a place with flawless leadership.
- If we are obedient to God and have sought Him, and He is not speaking, then do you know what the answer is? He is probably saying, “Stay right where you are. Don’t change a thing.”
- Often when we feel pressure we look for a word from God to bring us relief. But God puts us in these very uncomfortable situations to mature, refine, and strengthen, not to destroy us!
- We should not resist the very thing God sends to mature us.
It Is Written:
- Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:13b (NIV)
- God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b (NIV)
- His love endures forever. Psalm 118:29b (NIV)
- I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28 (NIV)
- It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.Lam 3:22-23 (KJV)
- Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
- Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Psalm 136:1a (NIV)
- For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. 2 Cor. 1:20a (NIV)
- By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35 (NIV)
- He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor. 3:6 (NIV)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life
set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)
