Gluttony, Moderation, and Fasting: Yuck or Yum?

I know these are not three of our favorite words...particularly this time of year! But when Christians begin to think as a counter culture body, it becomes a little easier to broach such a subject. After all, God wants all of our lives, not just the parts that are easy to give to him. Let’s think about these words briefly.
1. Gluttony—I’m not sure we(the Church) have really ever talked about excessive eating as a sin. But even overeating gets at issues such as self-control, selfishness, and maybe even an ignorant neglect of poorer people whom God could bless by our abundance.
2. Moderation—This word calls for a more balanced approach instead of pursuing extremes that are harmful to us spiritually. We know how gluttony affects us physically but I fear we have not seen the spiritual detriment. Moderation teaches us a greater respect for the resources God has given us. Moderation also allows us to see that these resources can now be shared.
3. Fasting—If we dare to consider the extreme opposite of gluttony, we begin to consider the spiritual discipline of fasting. In trust, we temporarily abandon our dependence on food to say that we want to be totally dependent on God for our nourishment. What a radical faith to fast! Let us help each other with these difficult practices.