Do You Have A Spiritual Eating Disorder?
Thousands of Christians are suffering from the effects of a spiritual eating disorder! Perhaps even you! Do you have a spiritual eating disorder—aka "SED"? Are you a SED head? Don't be SED, be fed! (Just so you know, we've created the term "spiritual eating disorder, SED"—it is not a clinical diagnosis, we're just using these terms to help illustrate a very frustrating reality that many Christians experience.) Let's take a look at SED!
Most of us are acquainted with the reality of regular eating disorders ... the anorexic, the bulimic, the junk food junkie, the malnourished, the binge and overeater and other abnormalities. People are suffering ill health, loss of energy, disease and sometimes death because of their eating issues and it's the exact same thing spiritually! Multitudes of Christians are suffering from the dramatic effects of spiritual eating disorders.
Let's look at this interesting subject and hopefully you will be able to locate yourself. As you read these articles, perhaps you'll identify with one or more of these spiritual disorders. Be honest and ask yourself, do I have any of these eating disorders? Am I a healthy, balanced Christian with a good diet of the Word, or can I identify myself in some of these spiritual eating disorders? My hope is that if you are suffering from a spiritual eating disorder you recognize it, remedy it and renew your commitment to good spiritual eating habits!
How Hungry Are You?
Appetite. Hunger. Thirst. Basic human cravings. Survival instincts. If you are a living, breathing human being no one has to tell you to eat and drink—your body will tell you! Hunger and thirst are in our DNA! This is ingrained in us from the moment we are born. The first thing we want to discuss as we look at spiritual eating disorders is appetite—that is, hunger and thirst.
Spiritual appetite. Spiritual hunger. Spiritual thirst. Do you have one? Perhaps asking yourself a few questions will help. How hungry are you—spiritually? So-so? Famished? Starving? Do you seriously want to grow in your knowledge of God? Are you thirsty? Do you crave knowing God? Do you require Jesus and His Word in the same way you require water? How hungry are you? Your appetite for God and His Word are major indicators.
Spiritual hunger can be determined by asking question, "What does it take to satisfy you?" Have you ever wondered why some Christians are so hungry for God they can't seem to get enough? They aren't satisfied with anything less than spending chunks of time with God and in His Word; and other Christians seem content and satisfied to live on a spiritual saltine cracker once a month?
If it takes a lot of God and hours of reading His Word, frequency in listening to tapes, continual singing aloud or with a worship CD and attending church services or conferences where you are taught the Word line-upon-line to satisfy you—then you are quite hungry! If you require "the milk of the Word as well as the meat" several times a day or week, this is an indication of a healthy appetite! On the other hand, if you are satisfied by reading your Bible for 10 minutes once a week, if you aren't interested in listening to a teaching tape or the Bible on CD, if you rarely sing from your heart or with a worship CD and if attending church once a month is a landslide for you, then you are suffering from a serious, life-threatening, weak spiritual appetite! Why is this? What's the difference between the healthy appetite and the sick appetite? What makes one Christian hunger and thirst for God and His Word and what makes another suffer from a spiritual eating disorder?
Have you located yourself and your spiritual appetite yet? Are you a healthy, growing Christian? Or are you a frustrated Christian with a spiritual eating disorder? Perhaps your Christian life has not been as fulfilling as you hoped it would be. Maybe you don't feel as close to the Lord as you'd like. It's possible that you've experienced the "roller coaster" Christian life—instead of the abundant, satisfying life Jesus promised. Maybe you've felt alone and afraid in the midst of storms and trials, instead of full of faith and assurance.
Felt weak when you should feel strong? Felt exhausted when you should feel revived? Been depressed or broken-hearted when you should be shouting hallelujah? Perhaps you've felt bound, disappointed, frustrated, empty, disillusioned, angry and even bitter about your Christian experience, instead of feeling the joyful, hopeful, peaceful and victory-filled life you've seen other advertise by their lives. What's the deal? Why is it some Christians seem to have so many things going their way, while you bump along in your Christian life with a sense of emptiness?
I have good news for you! There's hope! While on occasion Christians will experience some challenges and trials in life, God wants your overriding testimony to be filled with strength, joy, peace and victory! The Christian life Jesus came to bring is one of: Life! Abundant life! Victory. Overcoming. Triumph. Conquering. Praiseworthy! How often does the Scripture encourage us that He wants us to be triumphant in Christ? An overcomer through faith? More than a conqueror? Able to do all things in Christ?
Living the consistently defeated Christian life has never been God's plan and unfortunately, if your story has been trial after trial, challenge after challenge, defeat after defeat, disappointment after disappointment, it's very likely you are suffering the adverse effects of a spiritual eating disorder. The good new is that God will help you turn it around! It's possible to be "healed" from a spiritual eating disorder and enjoy dynamic, spiritual health!
God wants you healthy, whole, strong and growing spiritually and as you read this. I trust that you will sense an insatiable hunger and thirst for God and His Word like never before. I believe you will go from being a genuine—but defeated, weak and sickly Christian—to being an authentic, nutrition-filled, balanced healthy Christian!
To read Part Two, click here.
Copyright © 2007 Beth Jones Ministries All rights reserved.
