An Uncontrolled Appetite
Updated: 2 days ago
“I’ve got it all under control!”
Famous last words, right? This is a dangerous thing to say in many situations but especially when our cravings are involved. I believe one of the greatest enemies of fulfilling our God-given purpose is an uncontrolled appetite. It’s the inability to tell ourselves no when it comes to worldly pleasures. And I’m afraid this even involves food. It is the subtle sin of gluttony that opens the gate to many other fleshly indulgences and strips us of God’s best for our lives.
I think the words of Paul in the context of food are expressively fitting: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (I Corinthians 6:12).
Our bodies, which are the temple of the Holy Ghost, are not to be under the power of anything other than Christ. He is to have complete control over even the simplest desires like what we eat. This is why the Bible speaks so much about food and man’s relationship to it. For example…
The Old Testament Jews were given laws on what to eat and what not to eat; what was considered clean and unclean.
Daniel stood up to King Nebuchadnezzar to prove that God’s way was best.
Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness.
Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes.
Jesus even commanded His disciples to remember Him by taking communion.
And remember how this whole sin thing got started? It was literally from eating. It was temptation against a God-given desire, that was fulfilled outside of God’s will. Not that the eating was wrong but eating something God said not to eat was indeed wrong. Sin entered into the world when Adam and Eve gave into their fleshly appetites and overindulged.
So, how can you take control of your appetite and cultivate a healthy relationship with food? Here are a few practical things I have found that helps me when I want to overindulge.
Realize you don’t have to feel full every time you eat.
This is a big one, especially if you have an unhealthy history with food. Sometimes our survival instincts kick in and we pull up a chair to the table like it’s the last time we will ever have another meal. This paves the way for a weighty portion size that may not be conducive to the nutrients our bodies actually need. As one study suggests, “…people using a large bowl ate 77% more pasta than those using a medium-sized bowl. (1)
“In another study, nutritional experts served themselves 31% more ice cream when given larger bowls and 14.5% more when provided with larger serving spoons (1).
And the sad part about the above study was that most people did not even realize what they were doing or how much extra they were eating.
So, understand you don’t always have to feel full. This is where knowing your metabolism, nutritional facts, and workload for the day can help you keep your body maintained in a healthy limit.
Get your hand out of the bag.
This one will kill chip lovers (like myself). One of the worst things you can do to set yourself up for failure is to bring the whole bag of chips to the couch for a movie night. Not only are most potato chips not the best choice of snack, but when consumed at large quantities they have the potential to do the following:
Raise your blood pressure.
Increase your chances of heart disease.
Increase your risk of a stroke (2).
Grab a small bowl for a light snack. (Sorry to the people that eat cereal out of a mixing bowl). It’s for your own good. 😉
Know your portion sizes before you start cooking.
One study suggests that “People tend to eat almost all of what they serve themselves. Therefore, controlling portion sizes can help prevent overindulging.” (3)
Sometimes you think you need to cook the whole box of pasta because you want to have enough for the whole family. But knowing your portions ahead time can greatly reduce the quantity of food left over for that large second helping you didn’t really need, or that “I deserve it” midnight snack.
Find accountability.
As all good husbands know, God gives us beautiful wives to keep us in check. And I truly believe that your spouse is a great thermometer for your fleshly appetite. Nobody knows you like your spouse, so keep the door of honest communication open wide to allow subtle rebuke every now and then. Give them warrant to tell you no if you are about to make an unhealthy choice. They can be just the accountability that you need to steward your health in a way that causes your faith, family, and focus to thrive!
My wife and I love to help other couples steward their bodies for Jesus with natural solutions and supplements. It has made a world of difference in our home! If you would love some accountability or if you have questions about natural solutions, go here and get your Free Wellness Gameplan. We can walk you through the steps you need to level-up your health!
Fast and Pray.
Now don’t lose sight of the bigger picture here. Jesus wants us to fast and pray to fulfill a spiritual need of intimacy and oneness with God. I think we make the mistake when we say, “I haven’t been eating well lately so I think I’ll fast.” You’re missing the point.
With that being said, I do believe prayer and fasting is for a dual purpose: to bring your heart into a closer connection with God and to bring your body under control. It is the acceptance of God over our fleshly desires: a yes to God and a no to ourselves.
This is the very essence of controlling your appetite. It is by yielding to Jesus and granting Him every desire, every craving.
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