Fat Soul

Even in our tolerant society, describing someone as fat is usually perceived in a negative sense. It is just not polite to refer to someone as ‘fat.’

However, in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament ’fat’ was sometimes used to communicate fullness or satisfaction or good health. That was Solomon’s meaning in a proverb contrasting laziness and diligence:

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The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,

But the soul of the diligent is made fat. 

--Proverbs 13:4

Humans understand cravings.

I once worked in an office setting in which a few of us would take our lunch together. We never watched the clock because one of my coworkers had an internal ‘lunch clock’ that went off at exactly 11:30 every day. He would pop up out of his chair, exit his office, stand in my doorway and “Ding, ding, ding!” an imaginary triangle. It was chow time.

We understand cravings. But what does the 'soul' crave?

A human being is made of body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Each aspect of the human being has its own cravings.

The 'body' craves food and drink, climate controlled environments, general comfort without pain, good health and a measure of strength, good looks, sexual satisfaction, rest, and maybe other things.

The 'spirit' consists of the intellect, emotion and the human will. There are cravings associated with each aspect of our spirit. The spirit craves knowledge and understanding, happiness and emotional stability, success and a sense of accomplishment, desires representing each of the three primary aspects of the spirit.

The human 'soul' is the ‘self.’ When God created mankind, He made man a “living soul.” The soul IS the person that you are. Your parents named your soul, not your body. When you refer to yourself you are referring to your soul. When someone calls your name, it is your soul being addressed. Your soul possesses your body and your spirit.

The soul is that aspect of your being that makes the ultimate choices in your life. Your body and spirit are influencers of the soul. Of course, the soul may allow the body to take charge; may allow the spirit to take charge. In general, these are poor choices because the body and spirit are generally interested only in satisfying the natural cravings they each perceive.

The proverb contrasts a soul lacking self-control with a disciplined soul. The soul desires something, presumably something good. Yet, lacking self-control, the lazy soul does not act. The ‘wanting’ is present, but the soul is weak and gives in to the influences of the body or the spirit.

However, the soul has the capacity to rule the body and refrain from giving in to its cravings. That is how a person curbs his appetite, engages in undesirable exercise, etc. The soul also has the capacity to quiet the cravings of the spirit. It is a matter of recognizing that which is of real importance and then accepting that as the greater value.

When the soul is diligent in pursuing things of real value, it engages self-control over the cravings of body and spirit. The result is a fat soul, that is, a soul that is satisfied or full, a soul fulfilling the more valuable choice. 

In the Proverbs the more valuable choices are wisdom, righteousness, justice, kindness, responsibility, etc. These are all characteristics of God. It sounds odd, but you should ‘fatten yourself’ on God’s character. 

Be wise.

Mark Stinnett

March 22, 2026

Who Draws Your Attention?

What a struggle we humans must overcome.

Think about the ways we sometimes think. 

Imagine passing by a neighborhood just up the road. Thoughts wander…

I wish we could afford that kind of property. I’d like to get to know those people. Maybe they could provide some good contacts for my business. I’ll bet we could get our kids on their ball team, one of the best in the area.

I would never live in a house of that size with only two kids. They are no better than my family, they don’t even live a godly lifestyle.

They should rename their address ‘Easy Street.’ They take lavish vacations. I wish they would invite me along just to take care of their dog. It must be nice to take off and travel whenever and wherever you want.

How easy it is to ‘size up’ other folks. Everyone has a different scenario, but we (humans) often look at those around us and wish we had what they had: possessions, position, lifestyle, etc. Many people wish to ‘rub elbows’ with those who are perceived to be important people. Yet, to what end?

Do not be envious of evil men,

Nor desire to be with them;

For their minds devise violence,

And their lips talk of trouble.

--Proverbs 24:1-2

It is easy to rationalize this proverb backward. In other words, we can easily evaluate whether a person is ‘evil’ on the basis of whether they obviously ‘devise violence’ or their ‘lips talk of trouble.’

However, the proverb was not written to define evil people, but rather to illuminate the way of evil people. Proverbs 2 describes the ‘evil’ man as one who leaves the paths of uprightness. So, the reality is that a person who has left the path of uprightness will ‘devise violence’ and ‘talk of trouble.’ That is their nature.

Now, it would be wrong to assume that all those who have money, or possessions, or position, or power, or a certain lifestyle, etc. are evil. That is not what is being said. Rather, there are many people that have left the path of uprightness and yet have acquired money, possessions, position, power, etc. The question we must ask ourselves is whether those desirable things justify our natural human desire to be like them or be with them.

Consider God’s view of the evil man:

For the crooked man is an abomination to the LORD;

But He is intimate with the upright.

--Proverbs 3:32

Before glancing toward those with riches, possessions, power, position, a desirable lifestyle, etc. we should recognize that those things do not define goodness. Those things do not define godliness. Those things do not make a person a friend of God. Many evil people have acquired desirable things.

Whenever a person envies the evil man and desires to be with him, he declares a desire to align himself with one who is detestable to God. It is better to be drawn, not to riches, power, position, etc. but to be drawn to goodness, righteousness, purity, and the things of God.

Train your eyes to desire to be like those who are beautiful to God.

Be wise.

Mark Stinnett

February 1, 2026

What's the Problem with Sin?

Have you ever wondered why sin is like a runaway train; why sin is so difficult to stop?

You might think that this blog will be about how terrible and repulsive sin is. And yet, that is the problem. If everyone thought sin was so terrible, they would avoid it. If the sin in your life was repulsive to you, you would turn away every time. You would treat it like a food that you hate.

Here’s an explanation about sin that we might not think about often…

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 

--James 1:13

Simply put, God is not to blame for your temptation. And here's the reason:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (v. 14)

The simple truth is that temptation originates within a person. The old illustration of dangling a carrot in front of a donkey to make him move forward is relevant. The donkey desires the carrot. Yet, dangle a carrot in front of some people and you will only annoy them.

You can wave money in front of someone who does not lust for money (i.e., desire money) and it will not be a temptation. In contrast, a money-lover is easily distracted by the mere mention of money.

When a woman who is dressed inappropriately walks by, why do most men look, even stare, while only a few look away? Within the lookers is a desire to look and perhaps even more. Yet within the man who looks away is a desire to avoid temptation. Yes, he knows that if he looks, he can be drawn away. Within him is a deeper desire for purity of thought and action.

Many sins, perhaps most, begin with temptation, which in turn, begins with a desire that already exists within. Without thinking about it, we like to satisfy our desires. We want to give in to the things that appeal to us. Sin caters to our desires. Sin employs the tremendous marketing tool of offering you everything you desire...everything. The temptation is the inner urging that presents a potential opportunity to satisfy. Sin is full-grown temptation that takes action. Or, as James put it:

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (v. 15)

The problem with sin is that it sets itself up as a satisfaction machine. “Simply give in to your desires.” But wait! What does sin ever do for you?

Sin makes many promises but cannot fulfill them. Sin is a master marketing agent promising satisfaction or happiness or whatever else you think the fulfillment of your desires will bring. Sin always says "yes" to your desires. Sin rallies in favor of giving in to temptation. Sin is always on your side to agree with your rationalization for giving in, or your justification for why giving in to temptation makes more sense than self-control.

Sin cheers you on to follow your dreams, to give in to your desires, to embrace your lust. Sin promises. Sin deceives. Yet, sin only brings death.

Do not be deceived my beloved brethren. Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…. (vv. 16-17)

Sin is never good. Sin deceives one's senses and mind and heart. 

Sin IS terrible. 

Sin IS repulsive. 

Is it time to reevaluate your desires?

Mark Stinnett

June 8, 2025

The Desire for Satisfaction

Have you ever walked out of a restaurant and smelled the savory offerings of a neighboring restaurant, only to think, “Ahh! that smells so good, I’d like to eat that”? Then, of course, you immediately recognize, “But, I just ate.”

That might be a key idea to marketing any product: Appeal to people’s senses so that they want what you have to offer whether they need it or not. It is the idea of creating the sense of a need and then proposing to offer a way to satisfy that perceived need.

When is the last time you saw a magazine ad, billboard or television commercial for fasting!?

Self-restraint just does not seem to be something that will bring happiness. Rather, happiness is to be found by engaging in all things fun and exciting and pleasurable and filling.

As kids my sister and I would ask mom if we could sprinkle salt into the palm of one hand and lick it up. Satisfying…. We had to ask permission because of what dad always said, “Too much of anything is bad for you.” Salt was his ’go-to’ example. “Our bodies need salt, but too much salt can harm your body.”

Yet, we craved salt as well as fruit flavored sugar balls (lemon drops and other sweets). We had little self-restraint. That was mom’s job.

As adults we all realize that it is no longer our moms’ job to force self-restraint on us. Yet, for the most part, our society is no friend to self-restraint.

Tolerance: Everyone, including yourself, should be able do as he/she pleases. For many people today, the greatest injustice is in keeping someone from doing what they want to do or telling them to do something they prefer not to do.

From sex to drugs and alcohol to entertainment, “Don’t tell me I can't have what I want.”

From vaccinations to taxes, “Don’t tell me what I have to do.”

Our society has created for itself an atmosphere of satisfaction that practically abhors restraint. We cannot seem to grasp the contradiction that so many of us live out in our day:

We eat to our satisfaction with the selection, quantity, quality we want, but destroy our health and find it difficult to function. We are not satisfied.

We buy, buy, buy; then, rent storage and buy more. We take out loans and work more. All of our stuff consumes our time and our thoughts. The momentary satisfaction fades long before we (or our kids) sell our stuff at huge discounts at an estate sale. We are not satisfied.

Our society is full of people who follow their fleshly desires for intimacy. (Wait! Let’s call it what it is...sexual pleasure.) Yet, our society is full of people lacking meaningful relationships. The momentary pleasure does not satisfy.

Money itself does not satisfy.

Self-control...

• It is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5;23). 
• It is a mark of spiritual maturity (1 Peter 1:6). 
• It is a matter of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).

Would you like satisfaction that is not fleeting? Would you like to be truly filled in a way that has lasting results? It will require self-restraint regarding the dazzling promises of happiness in this life. It will require a different perception of what is good. It will require that you ignore your fleshly impulses; that you ignore the gluttonous marketing of our day. You must value true life.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be satisfied.

—Matthew 5:6

Mark Stinnett

January 16, 2022

Losing Control to the Spirit

Being led by the Spirit of God sounds like a good idea. But what does it really mean? What do I have to do to be led by the Spirit? 

For many people that idea is scary. Most of us have been programmed from birth with the All-American “you-can’t-tell-me-what-to-do” attitude. That tends to bump up against the idea of being led or controlled by the Spirit of God. So, what does it look like when the Spirit leads me?

Being led by the Spirit suggests a leader-follower relationship. It is more than thinking, “I’ll let God’s Spirit drive while I sit in the passenger’s seat.” Following involves active participation that is both willing and intentional.

When Paul wrote about being led by the Spirit he set up a contrast between the “deeds of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.” He then made a revealing shift in the whole idea of being ‘led’ by the Spirit; a life and death contrast:

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

—Galatians 5:24-25

Living by the Spirit sounds all-encompassing, doesn't it?. In other words, there is not a part of your life that you keep for yourself for your own personal control. Being led by the Sprit is to live by the Spirit. You must hand over all of your life to God so that the Spirit of God can have control. It’s for your own good.

Our human nature rebels against such a notion. We want to choose. We want to govern. We want to be in control.

So, is there anything that you have difficulty giving over to God? Where do you want to retain control? Some people have problems in these areas:

American freedom: 

What has God done in the past when a nation becomes corrupt, immoral and violent? What if God takes action against America? Will you demand your way or submit to God’s leadership through the Spirit? (This is not an anti-America stance; I’m pro-Spirit!)

Financial independence: 

Are you willing to give God everything...except your bank account, retirement account, financial decisions? Through observation we are led to believe that money solves our problems. Solomon even validated that notion in Ecclesiastes 10:19. (But you should also read Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 and 7:12.)

Food lust: 

Yes, lust. Food lust has the following demands: Lots of food, food storage, variety, easy access, and ‘what I like.’ Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Some people eat to live; but others live to eat.” (Usually said at a feast, followed by uproarious laughter to justify, or mask, one’s overeating.)

Sexual desires: God created us as sexual beings and sexual cravings are real. Many people want to be in control of their sex life, but in reality, they want nothing to control their sexual desire.

Being led by the Spirit (living by the Spirit) means that I give all of my life to God. It means that I sacrifice those pet areas where I want to maintain control. 

• Being led by the Spirit means that I am not focused on my rights, my freedom, my nation. 
• It means that I have a healthy attitude toward money; I am not selfish, but generous, kind and benevolent. 
• It means that my food cravings do not control me. I can be content with not having what I want, when I want it and the variety I want. I think more about God than my belly. 
• It means that I am not focused on my sexual cravings even when my body is telling me it’s hungry. Marriage comes before sex. Then, Paul tells me, in marriage I am to satisfy my spouse, not myself. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

Being led by the Spirit is about exchanging my will for God’s will. So, whatever may be your pet area of desire, you need to willingly and intentionally lose control to the Spirit of God. You belong to Christ. 

Mark Stinnett

December 13, 2020

Something You Should Know about Your Appetite

Have you ever been to a restaurant, then, after eating, exited and smelled the delicious offerings of a neighboring restaurant? As good as it smells, you had absolutely no desire to go there to eat. There was no temptation, even if it was your favorite. You had already eaten; you were full.

On the other extreme, have you ever had a long day of physical labor, or perhaps missed a meal or two. You were 'caving in' with hunger; starving. You were ready to eat the first edible thing you could find and it was SOOOO tasty.

These two thoughts set the stage for a wonderful nugget of wisdom:

   A sated man loathes honey, 
   But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.
   --Proverbs 27:7

The word ‘sated’ means full or satisfied.
The word ‘loathed’ is translated from a Hebrew words that literally means, to tread down or trample.

Do you see the picture being presented in this proverb?
A person tramples over sweet honey with no interest. Why? He is full. Even though honey is delightful to the taste and nourishing to the body it is perceived as ordinary and undesirable. In great contrast, the starving man eats something bitter and perceives it to be sweet.

What is the value of this proverb?
Mere observation?

Consider...
The satisfied man tramples the honey as undesirable, yet, what is the reality?
The famished man will eat bitter things as if sweet, yet what is the reality?

Circumstances do not change the reality of the sweet honey or the reality of the bitter thing. So, we could at least conclude that taste buds are not accurate in determining the true value of something.

Now, let’s extend this example. What about other areas of life that are subject to taste?

We have ‘likes and dislikes’ in many areas: clothing, cars, houses, decorations, personality types, physical beauty, recreation, entertainment, and so on. We must understand that our ‘tastes’ are not accurate in determining the real value of things. 'Modern' does not make it a good house. 'Cute' does not make him a good boyfriend. 'Red' does not make it a good car. 'Stunning' does not make it appropriate clothing. 'Funny' does not make it a good sitcom or a good joke to repeat.

God’s divine instruction gives us insight into that which is truly good and valuable in life.

• If we are saturated with the things of this life, we just might regard the truth of God's instruction as ordinary and pass it off as unimportant.
• If we are so famished with regard to spiritual things, we are likely to accept the next teaching that comes along, whether it is from the mind of man or the mind of God. It will seem sweet and acceptable.

We need a steady diet of God's word so that we will be able to discern what is good and what is useless.

Be wise.
Be filled with God’s instruction.