Are you struggling with some form of overindulgence? We have outlined a five-step process to help you change and heal in this area of your life. Take all the time you need with each of the steps in this article.
Step 1: Adopt a Correct View of God
If you are overindulgent with yourself, it is important that you understand God better as the loving Father. He has promised you that He will always provide for your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. You do not need to stuff yourself with whatever you can get your hands on.
- God is all-knowing. He designed you and knows what would make you the happiest.
“I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
- God is love. He will always give you only what is good for you.
Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. (James 1:17)
- God is faithful. He will always provide for your needs.
The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. (Psalm 84:11)
Do not let a warped view of God justify your overindulgent lifestyle any longer. Undertake a search of Scripture for passages that depict God as your provider who satisfies you.
Step 2: Revise Your False Beliefs
God has called you to a life of holiness and moderate living. When you choose a different course for life, it proves that you really do not believe God will hold you accountable for your actions.
The following questions are designed to expose false beliefs of overindulgence.
- Do you believe you have the right to party excessively?
You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. (1 Peter 4:3)
- Do you believe you have no choice in controlling your appetites?
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. (Romans 8:12)
- Do you believe you are not responsible for your sinful overindulgence?
We are each responsible for our own conduct. (Galatians 6:5)
Try as you may, you just cannot lay the responsibility for your excessive self-indulgence on the shoulders of anyone other than yourself. Learn from Scripture what is really true about self-indulgent behavior versus self-control.