Slaves of Our Appetites
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires . . . you are slaves of the one you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or obedience which leads to righteousness. (Romans 6:12, 16, NIV)
The connection between our spirits and bodies is, I believe, one of the most misunderstood teachings among disciples of Jesus. Maybe the reason for this is because just like those early Christians, we live in a culture that encourages the indulgence of the flesh.
Think about it. Is the philosophy of those in the church at Corinth who said, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food” really any different from the high powered advertising we are exposed to today where “bigger is better”, “supersize me”, and “layers of indulgence” are just a few of the pitches that encourage us to let the desires of the flesh rule our lives?
Please understand me. I am not saying we cannot enjoy the tastes, sights, and sounds of our world. We do not live by some legalistic set of rules that encourage a spartan life depriving us of any and all pleasure. But as Paul warned the Corinthians - We are free to do “anything”, but we are not to let “anything” control us like slaves. (See I Cor. 6:12)
This is where we see the link between body and spirit. If we live lives of overindulgence, feeding the body’s every whim and desire, our spirits become weak and, in fact, corrupted. We can’t say “no” to that shiny new trinket, fancy car, or extra doughnut. Our credit cards are maxed out, our health suffers, and our lives begin spinning out of control. This is a spiritual issue that begins with a physical appetite.
We need to learn to say “no” to our physical appetites. Not all of them and not all the time, but we must guard against becoming slaves to the appetites of our flesh. As we learn to do this, we will grow strong in “righteousness” or “right living”. And this is the heart and soul of true worship as we will see tomorrow.
In Christ,
Dan