Stop Being Selfish

​Selfishness is an irrevocable byproduct of sin. As Christians, we are commanded to deny the desires of our flesh in order to obey the commandments of God and be effective servants in His Kingdom as well as towards our fellow man. In contrast, when we sin, we give in to the desires of our flesh in selfish disobedience. This act of rebellion makes us ineffective, as the world sees its self-centeredness reflected in our behavior.
 
Moreover, repeatedly giving in to the carnal desires of your flesh results in a selfish mentality. Consequently, it becomes increasingly difficult to accept the Lord's call for change in your life when everything is always all about you, meaning what you like, what you want, what you think you need, and what it will cost you personally to forgo your desires in order to benefit the Kingdom of God or someone else.  It is no different with the sins of gluttony and otherwise failing to eat and drink for God’s glory. In fact, in some ways, it is worse.
 
For example, gluttony begins with a simple act of overeating and/or over-indulging in unhealthy foods and beverages. However, over time it becomes a pattern of overeating and overindulgence, which begins to affect your outlook about yourself. In other words, you graduate from simply rebelling against God's commands to being completely self-centered in your thoughts, emotions, and behavior as it relates to food and beverages. For instance, your thoughts are focused more and more on what you are "in the mood" to eat even after consuming large, unhealthy meals.
 
As your waistline expands, your selfishness begins to work against you, making you self-conscious about your appearance, concerned about your health, and afraid that you will not be able to regain control of this area of your life. These negative emotions become evident in your behavior as you ostracize yourself from others to avoid unflattering comments and stares. Furthermore, you stop participating in many activities you enjoy for similar reasons.
 
All of that changes once you repent from committing the sin of gluttony and begin to reverse the process of selfishness that invaded your life. It is the same when you eat and drink for the glory of God instead of remaining in bondage to your eating disorder. As you deny yourself in obedience to the One True God, you become more and more selfless in terms of this and any other sins you are entangled with. After you discipline your body and bring it under subjection through Christ, then your focus should shift to shining the Light of Christ on others who are suffering under the weight of bondage to gluttony and eating disorders. This usually begins with your own household.
 
The Bible says that he who fails to provide for his own family has denied his faith and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8)! One of the most important things you can provide for the ones you love is covering them daily with your prayers.  Ask for God's mercy, deliverance, favor, protection, and mind renewal so that they will make a permanent health and fitness change through Christ and then effectively be about the Father's business to lead others to deliverance from gluttony and eating disorders through Him.
 
If you are ready to stop being selfish and obey God’s commands to take care of your body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit by eating and drinking for His glory, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God. Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ. Follow us daily on Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on iTunes, Spotify, The Narrative Matters, StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends. Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!