Do you eat too much? Do you find it hard to stop after one or two drinks? Overindulging can have serious consequences, from health problems to jail time, and more.
Many people struggle with overindulgence. We know the pain it can cause and the difficulty people have in beating these habits.
Of course, everyone overindulges occasionally. For example, just about every American overindulges with food on Thanksgiving.
But what we are talking about here is an ongoing overindulgence that interferes with healthy and holy living.
Sinful overindulgence can take many forms: gluttony, drunkenness, drug abuse, shopaholism, or overuse of media.
Along with more obvious forms of overindulgence, there are many other ways people may let their appetites get out of control like a stallion that leaps a fence. A mother might spend far more time working out at the gym than she needs to keep in shape, neglecting her family responsibilities in the process. A young person might love the adrenaline rush from thrill-seeking activities, such as extreme skiing and class-5 river rafting, to the point that he risks his life. And what about caffeine? Or cigarettes?
As diverse as are the moral weak points of the human race, so diverse are the forms overindulgence may take. Yet all forms of overindulgence have something in common: they are ways of feeding an appetite. “All sins are attempts to fill voids,” claimed Simone Weil. That is certainly true of the sins of overindulgence.
People have a type of hunger, real or perceived, and then try to feed it in a way that is inappropriate. Maybe they are greedy for sensation. Or maybe they have an emotional hurt and are trying to mask it with a high or the yumminess of a dessert or a “fun fix.” Either way, they need to understand their real problem and address it in a healthy way. Overindulgence will only make matters worse.
Have you had enough of too much? Are you willing to admit that your overindulgence is a sin? If so, we hope you will take action now by emptying your life of the sin and by filling the empty space with something far better. The virtue with which we should replace a sin of overindulgence is moderation.
Moderation is the proper response when overindulgence often involves substances or experiences that are good in themselves. In itself, food is good; we need it to survive, and it provides enjoyment. In themselves, a house and the things we put in it are good; they help us to live our lives in safety and satisfaction. In itself, entertainment is good; it gives us both relaxation and mental stimulation. What’s bad is when we use these good things to the point of excess. Defining what is “excess” is a challenging, personal struggle.
Truly, moderation is what God wants to see in our lives. As we overindulge in our favorite ways, God grieves because He knows we are not filling ourselves with what we really need, and that is more of Himself. We can never get too much of God.
5 Steps to Overcome Overindulgence
Discover how to overcome overindulgence in its various forms through time-tested insights that really work!
We have outlined a five-step process in the free ebook,OVERINDULGENCE: Enough is Not Enough, to help you work through the repair of that area of your life.
[Download OVERINDULGENCE: Enough is Not Enough for free now!]
