Gluttony: It’s Not Just For Dinner

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“Luke just finished a 10 lb burrito!” exclaimed his friend Colin rushing back from one of our local Mexican restaurants.

Gluttony: to gulp down or swallow; a serious failure in self-discipline.  Always the words you want to start the semester with.

I work with two campuses that have the same problem in opposite directions.  Campus A is a denominational school that requires chapel twice a week, often bonus chapels, has only one strong Christian organization that many attend, and service opportunities around the school.

Campus B is a highly academic institution in which 95% of those that apply to grad school receive admission.  Everyone is focused on the future so being in as many campus organizations and career societies as possible is the goal to further those future goals.  The busier one’s schedule, the more prestigious the student, and therefore the Red Badge of Courage is a full calendar.

Campus A has a gluttony of Christian activities.  Because of that, we struggle with students who want to be involved in a local church.  They desire to come, but would rather come to be ‘refreshed and reenergized’ or ‘sit and soak’ than participate in the body of Christ.  They have a consumer mindset rather than owner.  They fail to commit to activities because they have probably done something like it before.  The gluttony of churchy stuff is their deadly sin.

Campus B is loyal to attend, but when you mention a service project, Bible study, outreach event, they do not have time to commit to something else.  Even though they cry out for service projects to change their community and world, they fail to commit because of over-committed. The demands of school become their deadly sin.

One group is apathetic because they have been exposed to too much of it, one group is apathetic because it doesn’t fit into their life goal.

What are some practical steps that you have utilized to overcome the gluttony of religious things or the gluttony of an academic institution?

 

[ BACK-TO-SCHOOL HOMEPAGE ]

 

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About the Author

Ryan Brooks

Brooks has served for 6 years as Taylors First Baptist as Minister of College and Young Singles in Greenville, SC. He and his wife, Miriam, have two children and are in the process of adopting domestically. The college ministry called the Loft can be found at www.facebook.com/taylorsloft

  • MJ

    Tough spot. I fight BOTH gluttonies (can that be a plural word?) myself. But I have to continually remind myself that man does not live by activity alone. I’ve got to be abiding (resting, remaining) in Christ! Continually checking in with Him, “What’s next Lord? I’m tired. I don’t want to do this service project. Do you want me to? Can you give me the perseverance to see it through? Do you want me in this academic club or is this just vanity? You already know my career track. Can you give me the courage to be on “the outside” of this group and trust you’ll get me where I need to be?” – It’s my experience that most believers don’t know how to pray like this. It’s so routine and stilted or random and rash. Jesus is Emanuel… God WITH us! Don’t know if this perspective helps or not.

  • Benson Hines

    Very important discussion, Brooks. Thanks for the intriguing topic. Here’s my top-of-the-head thought…

    Never underestimate the value of targeted discipleship. :) Often gluttony (of any variety) arises because we’re either legalists or libertines. Legalists declare something (academics, service, church, Bible studies, in this case) “good” only because “it’s obviously good.” Libertines (in this case, at least) go with their passions, hopes, or crowd simply because it feels right and don’t stop to acknowledge Him in ALL their ways. Wisdom and common sense aren’t the same thing, and even Christian students rarely understand that.

    Sometimes the way we convince plays into the problem, too. If all we do is urge, urge, urge without a biblical basis, we’re encouraging legalism, too.

    I’d encourage us to be far more “prophetic” in our college ministries, relaying messages from the stage, in small groups, or through other means that cut to the heart of the problems God has revealed in OUR specific group (not just “college students in general”). In one group, gluttony may be best countered by teaching on God’s Direction; in another, a biblical understanding of Our Role as Students may be needed. Churchmanship must be taught (but we generally don’t teach it), but so must the Command to Enjoy (a la Ecclesiastes 9, et al.). And Priorities, Time Management, Sleep, Balance… aren’t just topics for the “College Success Seminar,” they’re discipleship issues.

  • Brooks

    Yes, one of the biggest challenges is how to impart commitment and motivation in Christ to a student. Baseball bats don’t tend to work (at leas so far).

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