Do You Have a Spiritual Eating Disorder?

Sometimes we develop spiritual eating disorders. We binge and purge on Jesus or fast from Him altogether and our souls quickly become malnourished.

Matthew 5:6 says, “ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Do you hunger for Jesus? Are you thirsty for the touch of His hand on your life? Or have you developed a spiritual eating disorder? Let’s do a quick checkup.

Spiritual bulimia

Do you binge on Jesus? Do you get filled up at camp or weekend retreats or on Sunday morning and then purge so that you can live the life you want to live? In stead of getting a steady dose of Christ through His Word, do you cont on filling feasts of God every once in a while?

Read Matthew 13:5-6 and see if you are like the shallow soil. Without the constant nourishment of consistent time in the Word and fellowship with other believers, your heart will get sick.

Spiritual anorexia

Do you starve yourself of Jesus altogether? Do you go weeks and months without seeking Him in prayer, fellowshipping with other Christians, or digging into the Word? It is impossible for your spirit to stay healthy when it is cut off from the source of life and strength. Anorexics delude themselves by thinking they can avoid food and still stay healthy, but it doesn’t’ work that way.

In the same way, you cannot grow spiritually without the nutrients God offers.

In Colossians 1:9-11 Paul writes, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might.”

Growth and strength come from being filled by God. Don’t starve yourself of His teachings. Feast regularly. Get filled up. It is simply the only way to grow in Him.

Spiritual stress eating

Are you a crisis pray-er who runs to Jesus only when the going gets tough? Do you neglect Him when life is smooth but seek Him with urgency when the road gets rocky? He is certainly able to provide for us during times of trial. Nahum 1:7 promises, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” But He calls us to seek Him at all times, not just when troubles hit our lives. First Thessalonians 5:16-18 teaches us to “be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Did you catch it?

Always…continually…in all circumstances. We are to ingest a steady diet of Christ, rather than just running to Him when we are stressed and afraid.

Do a spiritual checkup. If your spiritual life has developed some disordered eating habitaq1s, pull up a chair and feast and the banquet table of God. Allow Him to fill you and nourish your heart.

This segment was taken from Erin's book, "Graffiti: Learning to See the Art in Ourselves." You can learn more about this book at www.graffitiministries.com.