Aiming Straight for the Hearts of our Sons, Part 2 - Heavy Drinking and Gluttony . . . Proverbs 23:20

Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 
​Proverbs 23:20

Yesterday we looked at how a father can aim straight for the heart when warning his son against lifestyles that will cause him to be self-destructive.  Today, we will look at how he warns his son. 

The father makes it clear that those who drink wine heavily - and those who eat gluttonously, aree going to face some difficult times later in life.  There are those who drink heavily.  They consume a lot of beer, wine, or hard liquor.  We are warned not to be among these people.  Heavy drinking will eventually lead to alcoholism - which is a stronghold of sin that is very difficult to break.  Over the years I've been a pastor, I've worked with several men who suffered from a stronghold of alcoholism.  They were drunks who drank until it became a very self-destructive habit.  It was heart-breaking to see some of them struggle for years with this sin.  Jesus is able to deliver us from anything - any habit - any addictive behavior.  But we would be far better off if we never needed HIs deliverance from such things.  That is why we should be warning our sons and daughters against drinking heavily.  But the father also is warning his child against being a glutton as well.  Here is a sin that is seldom if ever addressed - especially if there is a potluck after church that day.

Gluttony is a sin.  That is clear from reading the Word of God.  Just as a person can become addicted to alcohol - he can also become addicted to food as well.  If you don't mind me being a little open here - this is a sin with which I struggle personally.  I tend to eat too much - and at times I've been accused to being addicted to cookies (chocolate chip in particular) - but I can stop eating them whenever I want.  All joking aside, overcoming gluttony has been a battle for me.  As I've fought it - winning sometimes and losing others - I've seen where food has been an idol in my life.  I will run to it to comfort me - instead of running to God.  The excess in eating - also lends itself to excess in other areas as well.  This is a sin we should warn our children about falling into in life.  If it is not overcome - it will lead to very serious consequences.  The reason that we do not see them - is because they are consequences that come over a much longer period of time.  Yet they are coming to the glutton - just as the consequences of drunkenness and alcoholism are coming to the heavy drinker as well.

We are wise when we see these sins of heavy drinking and gluttony and warn our children against them.  We need to warn them that there are very serious problems that develop because of them.  If they continue in them - they can even become life-threatening.  Tomorrow, we will take a look at the consequences of these choices - and - we will see how the wise father seeks to warn his children of them - while seeking to reach their hearts.