Destress the Damsel

Gluttony For Punishment

by

Hungry Mungry sat at supper,
Took his knife and spoon and fork,
Ate a bowl of mushroom soup, ate a slice of roasted pork,
Ate a dozen stewed tomatoes, twenty-seven deviled eggs,
Fifteen shrimps, nine baked potatoes,
Thirty-two fried chicken legs,
A shank of lamb, a boiled ham,
Two bowls of grits, some black-eye peas,
Four chocolate shakes, eight angel cakes,
Nine custard pies with Muenster cheese,
Ten pots of tea, and after he,
Had eaten all that he was able,
He poured some broth on the tablecloth
And ate the kitchen table.

His parents said, “Oh Hungry Mungry, stop these silly jokes.”
Mungry opened up his mouth, and “Gulp,” he ate his folks.
And then he went and ate his house, all the bricks and wood,
And then he ate up all the people in the neighborhood.
Up came twenty angry policemen shouting, “Stop and cease.”
Mungry opened his mouth and “Gulp,” he ate the police.
Soldiers came with tanks and guns.
Said Mungry, “They can’t harm me.”
He just smiled and licked his lips and ate the U.S. Army.

The President sent all his bombers – Mungry still was calm,
Put his head back, gulped the planes, and gobbled up the bomb.
He ate his town and ate the city – ate and ate and –
And then he said, “I think I’ll eat the whole United States.”

And so he ate Chicago first and munched the Water Tower,
And then he chewed on Pittsburgh but he found it rather sour.
He ate New York and Tennessee, and all of Boston town,
Then drank the Mississippi River just to wash it down.
And when he’d eaten every state, each puppy, boy and girl
He wiped his mouth upon his sleeve and went to eat the world.

He ate the Egypt pyramids and every church in Rome,
And all the grass in Africa and all the ice in Nome.
He ate each hill in green Brazil and then to make things worse
He decided for dessert he’d eat the universe.

He started with the moon and stars and soon as he was done
He gulped the clouds, he sipped the wind and gobbled up the sun.
Then sitting there in the cold dark air,
He started to nibble his feet,
Then his legs, then his hips
Then his neck, then his lips
Till he sat there just gnashin’ his teeth
‘Cause nothin’ was nothin’ was
Nothin’ was nothin’ was
Nothin’ was left to eat.

– “Hungry Mungry” by Shel Silverstein

Gluttony. As was the case with Hungry Mungry, you might say “round and round and round it goes, and where it stops nobody knows!” Gluttony…it’s the sin so many want to joke about, but so few want to talk about. It’s the skeleton in the closet. A guilty pleasure. A secret sin.

…and it’s our topic for today.

Gluttony is one of those oft “swept under the rug” kind of sins. I believe this is, in part, due to the lack of clear cut biblical standards on the issue. Most everyone knows it is wrong to “overeat”…but what on earth does “overeating” even look like? How do you know when you’ve crossed the line? Can gluttony be measured?

One person might think eating more than one hamburger per sitting is wrong, another might think eating five hamburgers is alright. One person eats dessert once a week, another eats it three times a day. One believes that drinking pop is to be avoided, another cracks open a fresh can at every meal. Everyone has a different opinion about how much is too much.

So, who is right?! From what source can we get our standard?

Rather than getting caught up in opinions, we are to look to the Bible for our answers! Here’s where it gets tricky, though: the Bible speaks of gluttony in terms of principles rather than precepts. To the best of my knowledge, you will not be able to find a portion control chart in scripture to definitively define your eating habits! Just the same, God’s word is not altogether silent on the subject. He has given us all we need to monitor our leanings toward gluttony. (If we will only apply a little common sense!)

Today we will ponder three punishments that might show up in our lives as a sign of excessive eating habits. If one or more of these signs has shown up in your life, it may be time to make some changes…

The first sign of gluttony is a punishment of the body: the punishment of pudginess.

Let’s be honest…one of the first places gluttony shows up is inside our own skin. When we’re no longer growing up, but continuing to grow out, it’s nearly always a tell-tale sign that we’re consuming far more than our body needs for nourishment.

Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not advocating an obsession with numbers on a scale, or making oneself sick to fit into a certain size. What I am advocating is proper education on what is a reasonable and healthy weight for YOU. This will of course vary with height, age, bone structure, muscle mass, etc. It’s not so much the number on the scale as it is maintaining a proportionate size for your unique combination of the above factors. If you are unsure where you should be weight-wise, an experienced medical health professional can help locate the appropriate parameters you ought to stay in. When you find yourself pushing the limit, taking a serious spiritual look at your eating habits will most likely get you right back on track.

Food is a lot like sex. Sex, in the right context (marriage) is a gift of God intended for pleasure and the bringing forth of new life. Food, in the right context (portioned) is a gift of God intended for pleasure and the sustaining of life. Sex outside of the covenant of marriage is crude, unacceptable, and shameful. Food outside of the boundaries of a self-controlled appetite is also crude, unacceptable, and shameful. Food and sex are wonderful gifts if used properly…but repulsive stumbling blocks when they are not.

There is a difference between eating and drinking for strength and from mere gluttony. – Henry David Thoreau

We must be careful how we view and use food. Food is not only a necessary nourishment, but can also be a tantalizing temptation. Weight watching can quickly fly out the window in its presence if we are not careful. The last thing anybody wants to think about at mealtime is counting the cost, but this is exactly what the God Who created pleasurable sustenance calls us to do!

Consider the words of the Psalmist in praise to our Lord:

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. – Psalm 104:14-15

In this Psalm, we find that God created food and beverage with three focuses in mind: 1. Our Pleasure; 2. Our Health; and 3. Our Strength.

In our Lord’s great kindness to us, He inspired this “sweet” little passage as well:

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste. – Proverbs 24:13

From these two passages above, we get the distinct sense that our loving Father delights in giving us tasty food to enjoy. He did not only create food for our survival, but He wanted us to find satisfaction in our daily meals.

However, there is a limit to how much satisfaction we ought to find in food. Consider these two proverbs about honey in conjunction with the previous one above:

Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. – Proverbs 25:16

It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. – Proverbs 25:27-28

Allow me to point out a few basic truths found in the first of these two scriptures. First of all, I will have you note that honey is a treat, not a necessity. This ought to remind us that food is a gift for our pleasure…our God is kind. Another point to be mindful of, is that there is no set number of ounces mentioned for the honey…but rather, a warning to control our portions. Why? If we eat too much, we will become full and “vomit” it. In other words, there is a somber truth when it comes to overeating: enjoy now, pay later.

In the second of these two passages, we see the comparison between overeating and pride. They both involve a sore lack of self-control. Overeating feeds the flesh, while pride feeds the ego…but they both feed the sin in our hearts…selfishness. The self-centered mindset leaves our spirit in shambles like a demolished city left to ruin. This is why we as christians are called to die to self.

There is much punishment to be had in pudginess. At first, a few extra pounds may not seem to make much difference, yet an expanding girth speaks volumes of an expanding sin problem. In the case of pudginess:

Gluttony is not a secret vice. – Orson Welles

It’s right there for all to see! How embarrassing to have “self” hanging over our jeans, jiggling from our arms, and rippling up our backs! Would we not be wise to look in the mirror and recognize the visible chastisement of the Lord? “Turn back, Child”, He warns…”Self is eating you alive!” Can you see the warning signs?

  • The huff and puff while climbing a flight of stairs? The punishment of pudginess.
  • The inability to participate in (physical) recreational activity with others? The punishment of pudginess.
  • The old outfits at the back of the closet, long outgrown? The punishment of pudginess.
  • The fear to be seen in naked vulnerability by your own spouse? The punishment of pudginess.
  • The heart problem the doctors never seem to be able to fix? The punishment of pudginess!

Any such example should serve as a warning that “self” is taking over, and that we have pleasured our flesh far too much.

So, how do we avoid pudginess? How can we know the right amount of food to fuel our body? How can we avoid gluttonous eating habits?

I can’t tell you how many calories a day you may consume. Neither can I tell you how many cookies you may have for a snack. If the Lord Almighty did not set in place such definitive numbers in His word, neither will I presume to do so. However, I will give you a few tips that may help you to self-evaluate, and put things in perspective. When headed for the pantry, you might ask yourself the following:

  • Am I eating to live, or living to eat?
  • Am I consuming food, or is food consuming me?
  • Does my spirit control my appetite, or does my appetite control my spirit?

These questions point at the heart rather than the hamburgers. The goal is getting down to the heart of the matter, after all. If you evaluate and find yourself lacking in self-control, now is the time to repent. By denying the flesh now, you will be saving yourself from the pain of punishment later.

There are many simple tricks for taking control and managing your own weight…

• In our age of high-technology, there is no end to the various apps that make it possible to easily track your eating habits and set boundaries. Try downloading one for free! You just might find that keeping records motivates you to do better today than yesterday!

• Another easy yet effective tool is self-talk for limitation. You tell yourself (for example): “I am going to eat two cookies for a snack this evening.” Then, you stay true to the words you spoke to yourself. Do not eat three cookies, do not eat two-and-a-half cookies…simply eat the amount you decided to eat – allow yourself no more. Several days of doing this and you have created a habit!

• One trick I have learned is to always save more indulgent snacks until the evening. Here is why: Let’s say I eat a slice of cake in the early afternoon. It is all I intend to snack on, but by evening, I am wishing I had another slice. My flesh would like to justify eating more. Slyly, my flesh says, “it has been a few hours ago since your last slice after all. Another sliver couldn’t hurt”. If I cater to my flesh, I have now foolishly eaten two slices of cake, when my original intent was to eat only one! However, if I refrain from eating any cake altogether until after supper, I have something to look forward to and I only eat one slice throughout the day. This leaves no provision for my flesh, and I remain in control.

Such simple tips as these can make a world of difference! Bottom line: set your own weight management goals, and stick to them. It only gets easier the more you do. It may not seem all that important to stick to goals that we make personally, but we must ask ourselves this: “if I can’t even stay true to myself, who can I stay true to?”

Don’t be a glutton for punishment. Flee from pudginess!

The second sign of gluttony is a punishment of the soul: the punishment of poverty.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can’t help but acknowledge that it costs more to eat more. A gluttonous grocery bill is not cheap.

Listen to these stark warnings from the book of Proverbs:

He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. – Proverbs 21:17

There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it all up. – Proverbs 21:20

There is no room for doubt – a gluttonous person is going to be (more often than not) a poor person. They nickel and dime their money away on that satisfaction which is short lived…

You get no thanks from your belly — it always forgets what you’ve done for it and comes begging again the next day. – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 

You might be thin as a rail (for gluttony does not always manifest itself in the physical body), but how’s your budget? Are you perhaps spending too much in the way of meals? A glutton may dig themselves into a financial hole just as well as a chain-smoker or a drunk would. There is more of a correlation than you might think…

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. – Proverbs 23:20-21

Drunkards and gluttons are in many ways two of a kind. They both are poor financially and spiritually. Also, take special note of the mention above of “drowsiness”. Hmm…food hangover, anyone? Think about it…eating too much usually makes you tired, sluggish, and irritable. It’s a terrible feeling, and it’s another form of punishment with a capital P!

It is the just doom of laziness and gluttony to be inactive without ease and drowsy without tranquility. – Samuel Johnson

To return to my original point, can you see signs of gluttony in your food bill?

  • The unexpected stop at the fast food chain, because “it sounded good”.
  • The candy bar you “couldn’t resist” while passing through the checkout lane.
  • The cheese puffs you threw in your cart, because “a sudden, intense craving” came on.

Understand that I don’t mean to say any of these things are bad in and of themselves…in moderation. However, if this is the norm in your life or something that controls you “in the moment”, you may not be giving yourself a treat; you may be giving in to gluttony.

To be blessed and yet permit gluttony to blind me to the blessings is to banish myself to a life of unrelenting poverty even though I might be utterly engulfed in the embrace of a million marvelous blessings. – Craig D. Lounsbrough

Here are some tips that may help curb gluttonous spending habits…

• When grocery shopping, prepare one hundred percent of your list beforehand, and stick to it. Don’t be swayed by items you “didn’t know you needed”. If you didn’t know you needed it, chances are…you didn’t need it, period!

• Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan! Try to avoid unexpected restaurant excursions, and save those occasions for times when they are planned and can be afforded.

• Decide a set amount to spend on food for the week, and do not exceed the budget. Get cash out of the bank if you need to, and use that primarily (rather than a card). When you limit yourself to a strict cash flow each grocery day/restaurant excursion, it can help you evaluate whether you truly need all the extra “goodies” or not.

Don’t be a glutton for punishment. Flee from poverty!

The third sign of gluttony is a punishment of the spirit: the punishment of preoccupation.

When we are preoccupied with food, it leaves little room to dwell on other things. Higher things. Spiritual things. Rather than redeeming our time for the Lord, all we can think about is heading to the pantry to rummage more goodies for the flesh. How carnal! How shameful. If, on the other hand, we free our minds from the lust of food, we will have room for more productivity and spiritual growth.

Preoccupation with food is not only gluttony, but it is a form of idolatry! It is a mindset of “food now, God some other time“…

  • Ever wish the preacher would stop sermonizing so you could race to the dinner table to feed your belly?
  • Ever think about what you will make for supper during the last song in worship service?
  • Ever write a christian article and keep getting up to grab yourself snacks instead of focusing?

If these sound familiar, you might be suffering from the punishment of preoccupation, my friend! Stop now before you end up counted among these folks…

Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. – Philippians 3:19

Gluttony is often joked about in social circles, but as you can see – it’s no joke. Idolizing food is a sin worthy of destruction! That is why we must carefully heed this admonition:

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. – Romans 13:14

Gluttony is a lust of the flesh, and there’s nothing funny about that.

Modern Christians, especially those in the Western world, have generally been found wanting in the area of holiness of body. Gluttony and laziness, for example, were regarded by earlier Christians as sin. Today we may look on these as weaknesses of the will but certainly not sin. We even joke about our overeating and other indulgences instead of crying out to God in confession and repentance. – Jerry Bridges

Gluttony was a sin worthy of stoning in Old Testament times. (The sin is just as abominable today, only the punishment may be delayed.) Check this scripture out, concerning the hard choice parents have had to make in regards to their wayward children:

And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. – Deuteronomy 21:20-21

Gluttony is directly linked with stubbornness and rebellion – and as we mentioned previously, drunkenness!  What do we do if we have fallen into such dreadful behaviors? Ephesians 5:15-18 has the recipe for overcoming drunkenness, and if you follow the same recipe, you can overcome gluttony also:

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.

Want to be wise? Want to understand God’s will? Want to redeem your time? You can’t do this with wine, and you can’t do this with food! We must replace these vices with God’s spirit. We must idolize Him (only Him); and deny those things which slow us down when taken to excess.

If you are experiencing the punishment of preoccupation, try out these tips to get your mind back on track…

• Set aside a special time each day to study from God’s word. Set a timer and say “no” to any distractions (including food) until the timer runs out. When there is no question about grabbing a snack, you free your mind to forget about it and focus on the King.

• Brush your teeth. This can trick your mind into thinking it’s time to lay off the food! Besides, who wants to defile a perfectly clean and fresh mouth? Just do it – it helps!

• If you are physically capable, why not try fasting from time to time? It can help shrink your tummy if you do it reasonably often. A smaller tummy leaves less room for food, and less room for food means more room for God if you are determined to be spiritually minded! Last of all, these special days of fasting will leave you unencumbered from thinking about food. When you determine something is not even an option, you eventually stop thinking about it! A clear and free mind is a wonderful thing to have.

Don’t be a glutton for punishment. Flee from preoccupation!

In conclusion…

“Am I a glutton?” It is a question we all must ask ourselves from time to time. If I want to know the answer, I must put myself to the test by asking three questions of my life.

• Firstly, I will look for a sign in my body: am I experiencing the punishment of pudginess?

• Secondly, I will look for a sign in my soul: am I experiencing the punishment of poverty?

• Lastly, I will look for a sign in my spirit: am I experiencing the punishment of preoccupation?

If the answer is ever “yes” to any of these questions, I will know that the Lord is warning me of serious danger. I must hearken to His chastisement and make a lifestyle change before it’s too late! I must remind myself that:

Gluttony is the act of digging a grave with your own teeth. – Enock Maragesi

Don’t be a glutton for punishment, friends! If we are inclined to engorge ourselves, let us feast solely and continually upon the “Bread of Life”. That is, Jesus Christ our Lord…who fills us all in all. Only in Him will we find the “oil and meal” that continues forevermore.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. – John 6:35

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. – Psalm 107:9

For God’s glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks

Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.

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If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired of waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

“If” – Rudyard Kipling (1895)

What Christian parent does not hope against hope that their progeny will rise to the nobility and virtue of these words? Written more than 120 years ago, Rudyard Kipling’s poem has captivated the hearts of parents for over a century. “If“…could a more fitting name be given to such a poem? One can hardly read this text and neglect to notice how much is wrapped up in “if“. If this, then this: that is the pattern we see unfolding as we read. Good old Cause and Effect! How can I raise my child to understand this?

As parents, we long for the reassurance that our efforts are worthwhile. That we’re not completely messing this whole parenting gig up. That our son won’t turn out to be some devious ladies’ man. That our daughter won’t end up another teen pregnancy statistic. That our children won’t end up living under a bridge snorting cocaine. “Father, please!” we pray in desperation, “I’m so weak and pathetic in my efforts. I don’t want to lose my baby to the world. Can you help me to get this right?”

Our Lord is more than willing to help us as parents…but He won’t mollycoddle us. He’s not going to reach down and zap obedience and good sense into our children so that we can sleep better at night. The fact is, the majority of the weight falls on us as parents.

Proverbs 29:17 admonishes: Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

Just recently, I read this passage with a new set of eyes. He shall give thee rest. I can not believe I’ve never read this in the literal sense before. If we are diligent in “correcting” our children, no more sleepless nights! No more senseless worrying! No more throwing up our hands and crying out in anguish over the souls of our offspring! Our children will literally give us rest…because we can rest easy with the delightful child we have invested in.

So how do we go about this correcting? Resting easy sounds all well and good, but what do you do when correcting doesn’t appear to have any effect? What do you do when you’ve spanked, grounded, threatened, guilt-tripped, etc. and you’re still not seeing any real results?

Many times, when we think of correcting our children, we think of punishing them. While there is a time and place for punishment, that is not going to be the focus of today’s lesson. What I want is for us to leave our pre-conceived notions at the door, and consider what correcting really means. A quick dictionary search tells me the definition of the verb “correct” is: to put right. To rectify. To remedy. To repair. The definition of the original Hebrew word in Proverbs 29:17 (yasar) includes, but is not limited to: admonishing, disciplining, instructing, teaching, training…as you can see, there is more to correcting than merely punishing. Correcting demands diligence. It demands proactivity. It demands a lifestyle.

For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. – Proverbs 3:12

There are three things our children need from us if they are going to grow up to be sons and daughters that give us rest. I hope that these three tips I am going to share with you today will assist you in your very own preparation of progenies…

1. Children Need Our Time.

Time is one of the most valuable assets a parent can offer to their child. From the moment a child is born, the physical demands for his parents’ time are obvious. Babies need fed, held, changed…everybody knows these simple facts. Yet the needs of a child don’t end with physical contact and care. A growing child’s mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing also utterly depend on time spent with parents.

“Daddy, watch this!”…”Momma, look what I can do!”…”Daddy, can I hold the screwdriver?”…”Momma, will you read me a story?”
Children crave our time…their pleas for attention and affection make this abundantly clear. However, fathers and mothers have become busier than ever in the present day rat race. How can we fit Junior into our busy day? How can we not lose sight of our precious progeny in the midst of the chaos?

First of all, something needs to be said about priorities…let’s be honest. Sometimes the truth of the matter is that Dad and Mom aren’t so busy as they are poor time managers…

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity. – La Bruyere, Characters (1688)

If time with your son or daughter is lacking, the first thing you’ll want to ask yourself is, “what non-essentials can I cut to spend more time investing in my kid?” Am I working excessively to the detriment of my child? Am I selfishly spending too much time with my own hobbies? Am I investing too much time in an outside ministry that leaves my own home in shambles? An honest look at priorities is illuminating.

Sometimes priorities are in check, yet your schedule truly leaves little leeway for free time to spend with your offspring. In this situation, remember this popular but important phrase: quality over quantity. Make every moment with your little man or woman count…

• When they speak or show you something, don’t merely nod your head with a “that’s nice, dear” sort of response. Look your child in the eye, smile genuinely, and offer a sincere word of praise. This will go a long way in warming your child’s heart to you.

• Even if you only have a little time, spend it doing something your child loves to do. Twenty minutes a day spent playing a game or roughhousing on the floor can take you from “absentee parent” to “best dad/mom in the world!”

• Sometimes something as simple as inviting your child alongside you in your simple activities can make them feel special…”I’m going downstairs to grab something out of the freezer, wanna come along?” You may be surprised at how fast their faces light up and they come running! They just want to be near you, parents.

He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length. – Proverbs 29:21

This passage shows us the importance of time and affection given to a child. These two ingredients can either make or break a relationship. I have heard it said that “he who has the heart has the child”. Who has your child’s heart? If we are not diligent in taking the time to cultivate strong bonds with our children, we will lose their hearts to someone who will.

Children that miss out on time from Dad and Mom are far more likely to neglect the faith as they grow. After all, if we didn’t give a second thought to them, what makes us think they will give a second thought to our God?

…a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. – Proverbs 29:15b

On the flip side, a child who has time lavished upon them by a Christian parent will hardly be able to help being influenced toward a bright and shining future for the Lord.

Time makes more converts than reason. – Thomas Paine, Introduction to Common Sense (1776)

Prepare your progeny with the gift of time.

2. Children Need Our Training.

If we intend on having children who will rise up to be men and women of God, it’s going to take a whole lot of training. I know this may come as a surprise to some, but children do not train themselves. I say this tongue in cheek, but sadly, many children are left to their own devices in life…and the consequences are not pretty. Children are foolish by nature (see Proverbs 22:15). This is not an insult, but it is a fact! “Foolish” can be defined as “lacking good sense or judgment/unwise”, and certainly these are true of children. They are relatively new to this thing called “life”, and it is the job of parents to show them in the way they ought to go.

And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. – Exodus 18:20

There are three simple truths in this passage…

• We are to guide our children’s lifestyle.
• We are to guide our children’s leisure.
• We are to guide our children’s labor.

In other words: train them to love the Lord, train them to make good use of their time, and train them to work diligently! If we can accomplish these things, we have a pretty great chance at raising up Christians. Easier said than done, right?! How can we do this?

We lead by example.

In the Bible, Luke says that he wrote his gospel to show us…“of all that Jesus began to do and teach”. (Acts 1:1b) Keeping our own parenting in mind, consider the following excerpt from a child rearing book concerning this passage:

Notice the sequence. First Jesus did, then he taught. Every effective parent does likewise. Children seldom internalize the teaching of hypocrites. But the teaching of those who live what they preach pierces deeply into our children’s hearts.” – William P. Farley, Gospel-Powered Parenting: How The Gospel Shapes And Transforms Parenting (2009)

Want your child to love the Lord? Love the Lord.
Want your child to make good use of their time? Make good use of your time.
Want your child to work diligently? Work diligently.

First he wrought, and afterwards he taught. – Chaucer, “Prologue”, The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400)

Now, hear me out (this part is key): Our children must be included in these activities to internalize them.

Is your child going to learn to love God simply because you are reading your bible while they are outside playing football? Is your child going to learn to crave wholesome hobbies as you knit and they beat each other over the head with a stick in the other room? Is your child going to learn the value of hard work while they sit in front of the television as you mop the floor? No, no, and no. Observation alone can not do the job of training. Rather, training comes from a healthy mix of observation and participation.

Read the bible with your children. Invite them to sit on your lap and let them try knitting a few stitches. Show them how to mop a floor, even if it takes twice as long. Like Jesus, first show them how it’s done, and then let them give it a go! When we do such things as these, we are investing in our children’s future. We are raising adults who will thrive.

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. – Proverbs 23:26

Prepare your progeny with the gift of training.

3. Children Need Our Teaching.

 

Teaching is the final step for preparing your progeny. Now hear me out, parents: it is crucial that this step be used in conjunction with the other two steps, or it will be rendered completely useless. (Remember Jesus’ sequence in the previous point?) Children are not apt to hear the teaching of one who has given them little to no time or training. Honestly…who can blame them?

I maintain in truth, /That with a smile we should instruct our youth, /Be very gentle when we have to blame, /And not put them in fear of virtue’s name. – Moliere, The School For Husbands (1661)

Children learn best from a parent that they know is in their corner. I know from experience with my own two progenies that the more time and training I give to them, the more willing they are to soak up the words of teaching that I speak. Yet just as time and training must precede teaching; teaching must succeed time and training. All are necessary for our children’s Christian development, and must be taken as a whole (in their proper order). To neglect even one will be a great detriment to your child’s growth.

Do you want your children to be established in life? Do you want them to have peace? Do you want them to be fearless? Let me tell you how:

…all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. – Isaiah 54:13-14

Did you catch that? If you want your kids to grow up to be established individuals with great peace and fearlessness, make sure they are “taught of the Lord” – for He is the only legitimate source of these blessings! Only in Him will they find ultimate success and freedom.

So how do we go about teaching our children? Well, in the spirit of Deuteronomy 6:7, we will teach them whenever and wherever! We will strive to bring God “down to earth” in ways our children can understand at their current level. Science is one of the best ways to reveal God’s majesty to your progeny. You don’t have to be a certified teacher for this one – simply grab some books from your local library and check out God’s amazing creation with your child. From the human body, to the animal kingdom, to unique plant life, to fantastic natural landforms…nature is an excellent tool to speak to the power of our Almighty Creator. (Romans 1:20) Another way to teach your child about God in a practical way is to teach them the principle of cause and effect. Help them to understand the consequences of sin, and the blessings found in righteousness. Constantly look for ways to contrast a life outside of Christ, versus a life in Christ. You might be surprised at how quickly young people can spot the difference and choose to root for the latter. My final tip is simply to read God’s word with your child on a regular basis. There is no substitute for the saving power found within its pages!

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. – Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams (1907)

Prepare your progeny with the gift of teaching.

In conclusion…

Do you wish to see your very own progeny prepared for a bright future in Christ? Wish no longer. You have the keys for unlocking your child’s full potential, parents. Give them your time, give them your training, give them your teaching. Put in the effort now, and you just might find yourself the delighted parent of that notable man (or woman) that Rudyard Kipling’s poem spoke of, in the years to come. God chose you for the preparation of your progenies, and He will see you through if you trust in Him and faithfully put your parenting hand to the plow. Purpose today to be the parent you were born to be! You can do this, friends.

 And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. – Hebrews 2:13

For God’s Glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks

Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.

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My dad gave me one dollar bill
‘Cause I’m his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
‘Cause two is more than one!

And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes – I guess he don’t know
That three is more than two!

Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just ’cause he can’t see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!

And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!

And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head –
Too proud of me to speak!

– “Smart” by Shel Silverstein

This comical narrative about a featherbrained son and his flabbergasted father leaves us with a timeless truth: sometimes less is more! (I guess Charmin Ultra was on to something?!)

Featherbrained as the boy may have been, you have to admit that he did express some logic in his line of thinking. For one who obviously knew little about the value of currency, it would appear that the higher number of coins obtained = the more riches secured. Yet the opposite was true. What he viewed as his gain, was ironically his loss. All of his efforts turned out to be wasted, for he did not educate himself in monetary value.

The same can be true of us, spiritually speaking. Just as our government has set their standard for monetary value, God has set His standard for spiritual value. Like the featherbrained son, we fallaciously believe that having more denotes wealth. Yet God’s word has a very different message…

• The world says more: live it up. God’s word says less is more: die to the flesh. (Romans 8:12-13)
• The world says more: buy, buy, buy. God’s word says less is more: give, give, give. (Proverbs 11:25)
• The world says more: show off your deeds. God’s word says less is more: keep it to yourself. (Matthew 6:5-6)
• The world says more: compete to win. God’s word says less is more: let others succeed. (Mark 9:33-35)
• The world says more: seek monetary wealth. God’s word says less is more: seek spiritual wealth. (1 Timothy 6:17)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher that the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9

There is this overwhelming belief in our world that being considered “less than” is a tragedy. To those who are of the world, God’s blueprint seems entirely enigmatic…

I must die to live?
I must give to get?
I must humble myself to be exalted?
I must go last to go first?
I must be poor to be rich?

Nonsensical, they say. The world would have us believe that “nice guys finish last”; that the only way to get ahead is by looking out for Yours Truly. The world laughs at christians, for they perceive us to be missing out. Like the featherbrained son, they believe that our loss is their gain. Well I just laugh right back – because I know something they don’t know:

Less me will bless me.

The scriptures are rife with this truth, yet what does the “Less Me Life” look like in action? Today we are going to identify three ways to implement this attitude into our daily life…

The “Less Me Life” With My Ministry…
Less Distressing & More Professing

When it comes to leading others to Christ, we tend to lean towards one of two methods: distressing, or professing. The first is a “beat ’em over the head” approach. Many people mistakenly believe that the best way to win people over to Christ is by putting worldly ignorance to shame by entering into arguments with non-christians. They think they are doing the work of God, but they act more like a soldier headed into mortal combat. The problem with the approach of distressing is that someone always comes out dead; not with newfound life.

The latter approach (professing) has every bit as much zeal, but with the crucial addition of shrewd gentility. A person who professes rather than distresses knows that “the best defense is a good offense”. Instead of arguing and trying to defend our moral position, we ought to be in the business of showing why Jesus is the way, and glorifying his attributes. When we lead others, we must focus first on leading them to the person, not the principles; the savior, not the system. When hearts are true, both will come with a little time.

We read in Job 34:3 that “…the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” Considering words in comparison to food, the words by which we speak to those outside the fold should be such as to make them want to take another bite of our teaching, NOT spit it out. Our words should be true, yes – but not only that – also well-seasoned and palatable.

Like it says in Proverbs 16:23-24, “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Are we teaching our mouths to speak pleasantly towards those are without? Are our lips learning the art of honeycomb evangelism…speaking in a way that is both sweet and healthy (filled with a palatable balance of spirit and truth)?

Proverbs 11:30b states: “he that winneth souls is wise.” The pursuit of evangelism is all well and good, but there must be “a method to our madness”. Not just any Joe Blow can win souls – it takes a wise individual that focuses more on professing than distressing. In other words, a wise christian is more interested in winning souls than arguments.

Ask yourself: Am I striving to be the light of the world, or the leader of the debate team?

If I make myself the center of attention by making other people look foolish and myself look wise, I will win no one. However, if I make Christ the center of attention by making Him look glorious and the world look unappealing, then I am on to something.

He must increase, but I must decrease. – John 3:30

Less me will bless me with my ministry.

The “Less Me Life” With My Moments…
Less Digressing & More Progressing

If we are not careful, many of us will at one point or another fall into a rut of apathy and laziness. At the core of our fleshly sin nature is a selfishness that runs deep. Our selfishness causes us to be spiritually lazy. When given the choice between the spiritual and the carnal, we often lean toward the carnal. Sure, we may not go so far as to choose going to night-clubs over night-church! Yet selfishness is often much more subtle than extreme. In reality, selfishness comes down to the little choices we make from day to day, such as binge-watching television when we really should be studying, or falling asleep instead of taking time to talk to the Lord. Sometimes it seems harder to choose the right thing than the easy thing, but remember – less me will bless me! If we stop digressing and start progressing, there are rich rewards to be had.

We all know these famous words of our Lord: “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). What we need is a perspective change in regard to spiritual things. If we learn to treasure spiritual things, then our hearts will be in it. If we wait until we feel like choosing the spiritual over the carnal, we may be waiting a long time! We must train and guide our feelings, rather than letting them have the reins. First we change our minds; then our hearts (and furthermore, our feelings) will follow suit.

2 Timothy 3:5 warns us of those who “have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof“. What if that person he warns against is you, or me? Do we at times deny God’s power by putting low priority on spiritual pursuits? I think all of us undervalue the spiritual at times because we simply do not see the results of our efforts right away. Our flesh causes us to quickly think “this is boring” when we don’t see any real pleasure or worth in what we’re doing. Then we run to our televisions, video games, books, or any other vice we might use in order to distract us from the eternal. Things that bring instant gratification. Yet it’s like my father always used to say: anything worth doing takes time. If we deny our flesh in the present, we will reap great spiritual benefits before we know it!

When it comes to choosing between the hard choice and the easy choice, always choose the hard thing first. Perhaps you think to yourself: “Hmmm, should I spend some time reading my bible, or browsing social media?” Read your bible first, and I guarantee you will be able to muster the energy for browsing later! If you browse first, you are more likely to get sucked in for longer than is prudent. We seem to always be able to make time for things we love doing. Therefore we must be intentional about loving the things of God – every time we deny our flesh it will get easier and easier to choose well.

We choose to go to the moon! We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too. – President John F. Kennedy, Rice Stadium Speech (September 12, 1962)

As our nation had such fervor for reaching spatial heights, ought we not to have even greater fervor for reaching spiritual heights?

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:14

Less me will bless me with my moments!

The “Less Me Life” With My Money…
Less Depressing & More Possessing

If you asked most anyone if they would rather have less cash flow or more, it’s fairly easy to guess what their answer might be. Who doesn’t want a little more bread in the billfold? Truly, everyone’s life is affected by money in some fashion, and we all need some to get by in this world. Yet how do we know when enough is enough? What if money has become an idol in our life?

Each of us should self-evaluate from time to time and make sure our priorities are in the right place concerning monetary advancement. Some good questions to ask ourselves are:

Is money coming between me and my faith? (i.e. Taking a job that pays well but keeps me from the assembly?)
Is money coming between me and my family? (i.e. Working so much I have little time to love on my spouse or train my children?)
Is money coming between me and my fidelity? (i.e. Being a “little” dishonest when it benefits my pocketbook?)

Psalm 73:12 gives us this sober wake-up call: Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Now does this mean that only the beggars and the homeless will enter into Heaven? Of course not. Yet consider the heart of the matter: those who have prospering in the world and increasing in riches as their main focus are not God-minded individuals. Now, should we seek to provide our family’s needs, and even bring small joys to our household in the form of innocent wants (in moderation)? Absolutely. However, if money comes between our faith, family, or fidelity, it has taken a wrongful place in our lives.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. – 1 Timothy 6:17

Like the passage states, riches are “uncertain”…they can come and go. How foolish to trust in uncertainty, when we can trust in a certain and living God! Better to be poor in this world and rich in the next than vice versa!

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. – Ecclesiastes 5:10

The funny thing about money is it seems that no matter how much a person gets, they could always use a little more, and a little more. That is because money can never fully satisfy us. Only God has the power to fill us all in all. Like Solomon so aptly penned concerning wealth in Ecclesiastes 5:16b…what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? Money will always leave us wanting.

They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) – Psalm 49:6-8

In other words, can money save our loved ones? Will our success in this world have value that stretches on into eternity? Won’t we someday regret neglecting others for the sake of money, when we ought to have rather been ministering to them and furthering the cause of Christ?

We need to be more interested in getting to heaven than getting ahead.

There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. – Proverbs 13:7

Less me will bless me with my money.

In conclusion…

Remember the flabbergasted father and his featherbrained son? Our Father, Jehovah God, is just as stunned by our feather-headedness when we know so little of true worth. We would be wise to follow His standard on value, because – just like in the story – sometimes less truly is more. Let us never be so featherbrained to think we are gaining when we truly are losing. Rather, in the spirit of Philippians 3:7, let us rewire our brains to count those things we used to regard as gain, to be loss for the cause of Christ.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:5-10 (emphasis added)

In his 2009 book, “Gospel-Powered Parenting: How The Gospel Shapes And Transforms Parenting”, William P. Farley notes of the aforementioned passage:

Jesus did not cling to his rights. Instead, he “made himself nothing,” became a slave, humbled himself, and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus submitted. He obeyed his Father’s authority. Submission to authority expresses humility, and God always exalts the humble. So the Father raised Jesus to his right hand and gave him all power and authority.

The “Less Me Life” even blessed Jesus – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Will we not mirror His ways as we are called to do in John 13:15-17? “Happy are we if we do these things“.

Instead of distressing, digressing, and depressing; I want to spend my days professing, progressing, and possessing! Are you with me, friends?

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. – Hebrews 7:7 (emphasis added)

There you have it, folks. Without a doubt, less me will bless me!

For God’s glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks

Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.