Keep Under Your Body

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

A believer should be controlled only by the Lord. At no point should a man be controlled by the cravings of his body, even that of his appetite. No doubt, Paul’s words above covered a much broader scope than simply a man’s appetite, but he too understood the need to control one’s cravings. The Bible records several instances where Paul was hungry and had nothing to eat (2 Corinthians 11:27). Solomon warned his son about the need for controlling one’s appetite when seated before rulers at a meal. He admonished, “When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite” (Proverbs 23:1-2).

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

(For children):The king of Babylon took the best of the male captives from the children of Israel and wanted them trained for his service. He offered them a variety of food and drink which God did not allow. All of the captives chose to eat the king’s meat except Daniel and his three friends. God blessed them greatly for their obedience (Daniel 1:8-20).

(For everyone):What are some instances when it might be extremely important to guard your appetite? What does an inability to control one’s appetite suggest about the person in general?

(For everyone):How can an excessive appetite hinder serving the Lord? How could these excesses become a hindrance to a pastor, missionary, or evangelist?

PRAYER THOUGHTS

Ask God to help you control your appetite.

Ask God to help you “keep under” your body.

SONG

My Heart's the Seat of War

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