How about seconds? Thirds? Fourths?

History is one of my favorite subjects. Not only do we learn a lot about humanity by looking at our history, but you can stumble across some really odd things as well!

For example, did you know the wealthy citizens of ancient Pompeii were famous for hosting dinner banquets for their friends and neighbors?

These weren’t polite, well-behaved dinner parties. Often hosts would write rules for the banquet on the wall, including such tips as not propositioning your neighbor’s wife!

Of particular interest, dinner banquets in Pompeii were indulgent affairs. Literally! Guests would stuff themselves on the lavish spread of foods to the point they couldn’t eat anymore … but they wanted to! In fact, they wanted to continue indulging so badly that “wretching” was common at banquets in order that guests could continue feasting on the delicacies.

Like the people of Pompeii, people throughout history have demonstrated a willingness to take on severe behaviors in order to be able to indulge themselves with their desires.

In our times, we see obesity out of control because we don’t want to control ourselves, we want to indulge. Credit limits are stretched to the breaking point so we can get what we want to indulge ourselves. Home foreclosures are at an all-time high because a multitude of people went over the top in indulging, only to lose their homes because of it. And the church in America is on the decline … again, so that we may indulge ourselves.

Do you have your own version of “wretching”? Are their behaviors in your life you take on simply to enable you to continue indulging in desires? What unhealthy behaviors do you need to eliminate from your life to enable you to exercise healthy self-control?

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23.

Scotty