Over the past fifteen years or so I have put on perhaps 45 more pounds than my frame and body size require - and I have done so through over eating.As a man who will not eat without asking God to bless my meal. I don't pray a formula, but simply pray before my meal, with my family, and nestled in the prayer will be my appreciation of how He has provided this meal, and a request that God's blessing rest on the food. From time to time the Holy Spirit would provoke me to examine my eating habits, but I reasoned that I wasn't over eating - even if I was slowly putting on the pounds. It was because my job was sedentary, it was because I chose to spend my time labouring for the Lord and not labouring in a Gym, it was because I opted to be a good father and husband and spend my time with them, surely as a deacon I was busy in the church? My weight was not so much a reflection of gluttony, as it was a reflection of godly choices I was making in my life. At least that is the lie I chose to believe.A day of reckoning came however, and I got straight with the Lord - I confessed my over-eating for what it was - rebellion, treason, -- sin. I begged God to change my heart in the matter because I knew that while I could make myself obey, that same obedience would be entirely carnal - just me doing what the law requires and hating every minute of it. I begged God to change my attitude so that I could obey and enjoy obeying.God did. But it didn't happen right away. To be sure, it took months. I found out later that my wife, unbeknownst to me, had been praying as well that God would open my eyes to my problem. She had mentioned it many times, but I, clever in my own opinion, easily convinced myself that her request was over the top. When would I have the time to exercise?If you are perceptive, you will notice the state of my heart from that last sentence. Immediately my only option was exercise - there was no way I was going to eat less or eat different. If I was going to lose a pound it would not hinder my gluttony one iota.Well, to make a long story brief, I began to exercise - I began riding my bike to work five days a week (about 20 miles a day). I managed to lose a whole pound in just one week. That was when the Lord really opened my eyes. I began to study just how much effort is required to lose a pound of fat. The experts say it is about 3500 calories. That means that a man my size (205 lbs) would have to jog about eight and a half hours just to lose one pound of fat!I say the Lord opened my eyes, because with this information, I knew I was never going to lose the weight in any timely way - since the enemy was guarding my gluttony in a mighty and fortified tower.It is funny what the Lord can use to open your eyes. As I pondered the magnitude of the work that lay before me, I suddenly realized that I was refusing to entertain the possibility of cutting back on my food intake. It simply was out of the question. I began to examine this prayerfully, and suddenly the dam burst! In prayer I saw the enemy clearly, I saw the ground that I had yielded to him, and I saw that I was not the prisoner I imagined myself to be - and in a moment trhough faith alone, I had victory over this sin that had controlled a part of my life for the last fifteen or twenty years.That was two months ago. I have since lost 20 pounds - not on some fad diet - but just in a genuine repentance from gluttony. Not in begruding obedience to God's "harsh" laws - no way! For God's glory He set me free, and I love Him for the free gift. His yoke is light and the burden now easy! Praise the Lord, He has saved me from the power of this sin. You could have heard the chains hit the floor when He freed me from this brethren - what a joy!!I have shared this testimony, just to encourage others who may be calling gluttony by another name, or perhaps making excuses for it. How many sins has the Lord set me free from, and yet every time it is brand new and awesome! Don't sit in jail sinner - the door is open, the fine is paid - step out in faith.Dan/\\/\\/\\
