God made people in all shapes and sizes.
Some tall. Some short. Some skinny. Some wide. So when is someone obese?
The same question about fatness could be
applied to height. What height is too tall or too short? On the other hand, people cannot choose their
height, but some can choose their waist size.
Gluttony is not listed in the Bible as a
sin like murder or stealing. However gluttony reveals something that could be a
sin.
Jeshurun led the Israelites in the
revolt against God. Moses said this about him:
Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. Deuteronomy 32:15
His obesity in this passage was linked
to certain character traits:
- Laziness
- Selfishness
- Recklessness
Jeshurun grew fat because he met his own
physical needs. It was all about his "stomach." His sinfulness tied in to his eating habits.
Everything must be done in balance.
Drinking alcohol is not a sin. Drinking too much alcohol is a sin. The same
principle would apply to eating.
Many people eat to compensate for other
needs in their lives. They eat when they are sad or lonely or bored or lazy.
Here we see eating as a substitute for a
person’s relationship with God. Instead of praying to God for comfort, they
turn to food. That’s when obesity
indicates sin in a person’s life.
A person’s body size is not a sin. Many
people’s body cannot break down fat or cholesterol or calories as well as
others. However, body size could indicate a sin in their life. We cannot be too
quick to judge.
God gave us this body and we should treat
it well. As a gift. If we abuse it or don’t keep it in shape, we could be
saying to God we do not appreciate what he has given us.
That too would be sin.