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There are seasons in our lives when the temptations to resist self-control and discipline are strong. The holidays, personal and relational challenges, and sheltering in place come to mind. Then, we come to our senses, start a new diet, and jump in the gym as we take our pledges to fight the battle of the bulge. These resolutions are commonplace because many people struggle with their weight. Self-awareness does not have to be bad news. It could be the motivation you need to take action. We want to be in tune with the things we want to change. Losing weight and taking better care of our bodies is an excellent idea, as well as a biblical one, so let’s go ahead and get two familiar verses out of the way since you’re anticipating them.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
These verses are great, and I am sure they are familiar to you. Perhaps you have read them many times but are still battling the bulge. May I be honest? I struggle with weight gain, too. Sometimes, the Word of God comes across as a book of black letters on white pages—especially if we do not approach the Bible biblically. It’s vital to know that the words in the Bible are not magical, like waving a wand. There is power, but that power does not work passively, randomly, or arbitrarily. The power of the Word works in proportion to our proper engagement with those Words while actively praying, authentically seeking, humbly expecting, practically applying, and transparently living in the context of a biblical community.
If we think wrongly about the change process, we will become disappointed when our weight does not move the needle in the right direction. The issue here is not an under-appreciation of the Word of God as it is a lack of knowing what the change process requires. It is similar to teaching a child to do right, but he does not follow through with your guidance because he needs to learn how. The words appear to fall on deaf ears. God’s Word can fall on deaf ears, too (Hebrews 5:11-14). Therefore, we must,
We can make great strides in heart and body alterations as we do these things. So, with these disciplines in mind, consider how to bring the Word of God to bear on being overweight. Let’s begin with two fundamental questions:
I love those questions because making Bible connections to our lives is imperative. More specifically, I’m speaking of what the Bible teaches us about connecting the gospel to our sanctification. Losing weight makes the gospel question an important one. Therefore, you ask, “What does the gospel have to do with eating too much?” There are two ways to think about and apply the gospel to the problem of overeating:
One of the advantages of Christian discipleship over secular self-help is that the Christian discipler does not stop with behavioral modification. While we must change our behaviors—eating poorly or too much—we know true change won’t happen until we address the source of the problem. For example, Jesus tied the tongue—the words we use (symptom)—to the heart—who we are (core problem)—in Luke 6:45. We find a connection between the words we use and our hearts. Similarly, being overweight is not an external problem with no relationship to our inner selves—who we are at the core of our being. We are not biblically allowed to say, “I’m fat,” and act as though our external condition disconnects from the internal state of our hearts. Here is a shortlist of potential soul problems a Christian discipler wants to explore with a person who is overweight:
| Anxiety | Fear | Self-reliance |
| Performance | Sadness | Arrogance |
| Lack Self-control | Unbelief | Self-righteous |
| Frustration | Comfort | Anger |
| Slothful/lazy | Folly/impulsive | Disappointment |
| Jealousy | Regret | Envy |
| Resentment | Hopelessness | Apathy |
Are any of these characteristics part of who you are? If so, there is a more significant issue besides lack of exercise, overeating, or poor food choices. In most cases with the overweight person, it is a soul problem too. Though there are a few people where overweight and obesity struggles can be an organic problem only, it would be unwise to neglect a fuller exploration of the whole person before settling on organic exclusivity. Can you see how the deeper issues listed will feed the temptation to overeat or not exercise? How aware are you that the gospel speaks specifically to someone struggling with those underlying issues? The gospel brings hope and help to the craving or disappointed heart, and with that kind of internal support, the overweight person eventually experiences external transformation.
The gospel teaches how the Lord executed His Son (Isaiah 53:10) on the cross to redeem hopeless and helpless souls (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our souls were the most expensive purchase ever made. However, the gospel goes beyond redeeming us. After the good Lord regenerated us, He began to abide in us, and we in Him (John 15:4). Thus, we can make these four gospel connections:
Because of the gospel, we want to make His name great in our lives and among our families, friends, and culture. We want to show the gospel’s transformative power to all those desperate for the hope it offers. Suppose we are not rightly and practically affected by the truths of the gospel. If that were true, we would be out of line with the gospel (Galatians 2:14), and we must make our bodies a sacrifice to our Lord (Romans 12:1-2) as vessels that show off the power of the gospel in our lives. The more sobering fact we must deal with is the temptation to suppress the gospel through our lifestyles (Romans 1:18).
Altering the truth is more than an overweight issue. I am talking about our affection for Christ. The power of the gospel bought all of us, body and soul. Therefore, we need to learn how to practically live out all of the inheritance our Father provides for us (1 Peter 1:4). We do not want to live in vain (1 Corinthians 9:27). If your mind is more affected by Christ than food, you are in the perfect position to deal with the core problem with eating too much. Are you ready? The next step is to come to a fuller understanding of how sin operates in your life. I will do this by choosing one of the core heart issues listed above—a lack of self-control.
In this instance, part of the overeater’s problem is a lack of self-control—a vital aspect of the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Let’s say that self-control is not practically working in Mable’s life, so let’s examine her struggle. A person with little self-control in one area of life will have self-control problems in other areas, too. For example, a lady who has trouble controlling her eating habits is overweight. In our case study, Mable lacks self-control. But as you talk to her, you realize she lacks self-control in several other areas, like worry, anxiousness, fear, and anger. Sin will never, ever discriminate. Sin seeks to destroy the entire soul, not just part of it. It will corrupt every possible area of our lives, hoping to spread its poison. Rarely will you find a person who struggles with self-control in a monolithic way, like overeating. Here is a possible sin list regarding Mable’s weight problems, looking only at self-control. Notice how that one issue snakes its way into other areas of her life.
Furthermore, Mable struggles to bring her mind into obedience. For example, she can gossip, be critical, angry, fearful, make uncharitable judgments, rarely think the best of others, and be cynical and self-righteous. Then, other bad habits start showing up on the radar of her heart as she continues in these self-defeating and cyclic patterns, those things that hop a ride on the endless loop that is her orbit. Here are a few more examples:
Can you imagine how overwhelming and discouraging it would be when she first perceives a lack of self-control in all these areas? It is like finding the first termite in your home, and after you call the termite man, you realize an infestation of the destructive bugs is consuming the house. Intuitively, we know this is the case with most crucial things in our lives, but knowing something theoretically is a far cry from when those problems “out there somewhere” are destroying us.
People typically think the best approach for combating a permeating and pervasive sin like a lack of self-control is to bring every area of their lives back into control at the same time. This approach usually ends with frustration because the overwhelmed person begins to realize resistance is futile. The temptation to despair settles in, begging the question: Is it wise to attack every area simultaneously? I do not think so—at least not always.
Key Idea: One of the best ways to practice self-control is to tackle one area of your life that is out of control rather than every area. As you attack a single area, you will learn how to eventually attack all the other areas of your life that are out of control. Here is a list of a few things you will experience as you gain victory in one area:
In time, you attack other problem areas because you have learned how to mature in this one area. You can take any problem, e.g., poor sleep habits, gossiping, addictions, working too much, and overspending, and apply these ideas to them and gain victory in your life.
Finally, perhaps the most vital thing you should learn is that transformation on matters like these takes time. You prepare yourself for the long haul while begging God for the perseverance and grace to work it out practically.
Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).
