Church Voices

Americans are fat.  It’s true.  If you don’t believe me, go to Wally World.  So it might not come as a surprise to you that I am a glutton (no, not for punishment).  It did to me, though, especially since I’m 6′1″ and only weigh 155 lbs. Sure, lots of people around me are gluttons, it’s easy to see.  I mention it in sermons regularly.  However, I got some serious attitude correction when I came across the idea that there is a much more dangerous kind of gluttony than eating too much.

I was reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis the other day.  About every chapter I was being challenged, convicted, taught, or stretched in my walk with Christ (made me feel like a worm).  In it, Screwtape (a demon) writes to his nephew Wormwood (also a demon) about temptation leading to a gluttony of the heart.  This is where our decisions, approach to, and even comments about food come from a sinful attitude (Lewis mentions vanity and greed).  Being controlled by the stomache is still what makes gluttony what it is.  But like all things, our actions reflect what is in the heart.

Gluttony has (I really would like to say had) become such a problem for me that I had become mean to my own wife over something so stupid as what we had for dinner.  I could go on to talk about my own vanity and greed and probably (unfortunately) a few other attitude problems that are all interconnected with my bout with gluttony.  All of them dangerous to my spiritual well being, but none so important to me at the moment as how I treat my wife. 

Had I recognized my problem when it was just vanity, I might have prevented this.  But as of now, all I can do is say, Jenny, I’m sorry.  I’m sorry that I have allowed my stomache to control a great portion of my life.  I’m sorry that I was not spiritually mature enough to deal with my gluttony sooner.  I’m sorry that I’ve treated you the way I have.  I’m sorry I hurt you.