THIS… Is The Most Ignored Sin

What is the one sin that is most ignored by Christians today???

It’s not Porn

It’s not Sex

It’s not Alcohol

It’s not Lying or Greed or Envy

This is SO common in the church, not only do they ignore it, they glorify it!

I’m speaking of Obesity.

Look around your church this Sunday. Do you see healthy, in shape people?  Or do you see many more overweight, obese people struggling even to make up the stairs into the church?

Obesity is rampant in America.  It’s killing people, destroying health, and leading to depression and anxiety. Yet churches continue to turn a blind eye.

Obesity was the #1 contributing factor to deaths from COVID.  Churches across the country shut down for months, sometimes years, over COVID “for the health of their members”.  (That was a sin in itself) But they do nothing against the real pandemic, obesity, amongst their congregations that’s killing their members every day. Just the opposite, they flaunt it.  

I recently saw a local church that had a hot chocolate bar and had hundreds of cakes, pastries, and other “treats” filled with sugar there for the taking. They were just tempting people to give in to self indulgence. They even advertised it all over social media!

Imagine if a church put small bottles of booze out on their foyer tables? Or put porno mags out for the taking?  Would the comments be the same?

“It’s ok to be a little naughty today”

“I know I shouldn’t but just one won’t hurt”.

Churches talk about not putting a stumbling block in the way of your brother. (Romans 14) What about the brother trying to lose weight? What about the brother who’s diabetic?

You wouldn’t put alcohol out there if a brother was trying to stay sober. You wouldn’t have packs of cigarettes on a huge table in the foyer for a brother trying to quit.

Why does every church event have to revolve around food?  It sure isn’t about “breaking bread”. 

It’s more about bribing people to come with coffee and doughnuts.

I’m not saying there shouldn’t be hospitality or that it’s wrong to have some refreshments at church.  Not at all.

I’m saying that we’ve gone away from simply having something to eat and gone into glorifying and accepting gluttony, self-indulgence, and obesity.

Where are the church events that promote a healthy body?

Where are the church events that involve fitness?

Where are the church events that have healthy foods?

Instead, it’s all about the quick, easy, sugar filled snacks every time you walk in the door.  

The church is so quick to call smoking or drinking a sin because it’s damaging to your body, the temple, but says nothing about stuffing your face with horrible food. 

The modern church needs to take a good hard look at itself and admit that it is leading its flock into the sin of gluttony and self indulgence. 

You may say, is it really that big of a deal???  

Yes!

Our bodies are made in the image of God. 

Your body is a temple.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

-1 Cor 10:13

Do we glorify God when we allow ourselves to destroy the bodies he gave us from within?

Absolutely not. 

So what can you do about it?  

1. Build a healthy body yourself that honors God and is strong and ready to do His work.

2. Encourage your brothers and sisters in the faith to be healthy.  Get a group together and do a fitness challenge.  Right now I’m doing a challenge with a bunch of Christian men who are all doing 100 pushups a day for 31 days!
3. BE the change in your church.  Lead by example and encourage healthy habits. Instead of bringing cookies and donuts to every church event, bring something healthier.  Organize a church group to run a 5k.  Create a bible study where you work out together. 

We are to honor God in ALL we do.  That includes our bodies.

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