Spiritual Anorexia – We Need to GET A NEW MIRROR!
Psalms 102: 1, 4-5
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You…My heart is stricken and withered like grass. So that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning, my bones cling to my skin.”
This Scripture speaks of a condition I like to refer to as Spiritual Anorexia. For those unfamiliar with Anorexia Nervosa, it is an eating disorder that is most often attributed to a distorted view of oneself that causes the person to refrain from taking in food or nourishment to the point of starvation. This condition can lead to excessive weight loss, malfunctioning of bodily organs, and ultimately death, if untreated.
A Divine Revelation
How does this relate to the spiritual realm, you might ask? Well, I believe the health of our spiritual identity in Christ determines how we live, think, and relate to God and others. If that identity is distorted it will lead to spiritual malnourishment in similar ways to that of an Anorexic. When we see ourselves through the distorted, condemning lens of sin it can cause us to withdraw from the things that feed our relationship with God. When this happens, we tend to neglect the pure milk of the Word and the life force that it brings. Our prayer life begins to suffer neglect, as well causing our belief in God’s and His ability to answer prayer to diminish. Often at this point, we stop connecting with the body of Christ for fellowship, support, and encouragement. Spiritual starvation begins to cripple our lives as believers, and joy, peace, and love are replaced with a myriad of negative emotions that can cause our lives to malfunction in ways that are harmful and destructive. Depression and hopelessness can set in at this point, and yes, even bring us to the point of death.
Where’s the church in all this? I believe too many churches don’t seem to be functioning in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit nor do they (leaders in the church) help believers understand the spiritual battles their facing. The more traditional churches seem to focus more on the performance-based do’s and don’ts of Scripture than they do on the unconditional love of God that doesn’t have to be earned or deserved. The enemy uses this as a condemning gauntlet that focuses on works instead of a relationship with God. It also doesn’t make church feel safe for those of us with messy lives.
Then there’s the seeker-friendly movement that entertains a complacency toward sin and the truth of God’s Word, and in doing so, is rendering the body of Christ powerless over their flesh and the bondage of sin. The enemy uses this more liberal user-friendly formula to hold us captive to our old self and crippling our witness for Christ. These are just a few examples of how the church is getting it wrong, and therefore, failing the body of Christ.
Unfortunately, for many believers, our unique identity in Christ and His divine purpose for each of us is rarely realized. As a result of this, we settle for living mediocre lives that are spiritually anorexic. Lives that lack the luster of powerful transformation, of experiencing great joy in the amidst of sorrow, of seeing victory in the amidst of trials, or walking in freedom instead of spiritual bondage. Our witness to the world around us lacks transparency, vulnerability, grace, and mercy. That is why financial problems, defiant children, the fragmenting of the family through dysfunction, and a divorce rate that equals that of the secular world, are ravaging our lives, our homes, and most importantly, our witness. IS THERE A CURE? YES!!
A Divine Challenge
GET A NEW MIRROR! Get one that reflects the truth about who you are in Christ, then live the part! Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship (in Greek this is poiema or poem) created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” You are God’s poem! You were created for good works, which He has already prepared for you to do. All He wants is for you to surrender to His will and let Him do Him through you. Then the world will see the awesome benefits associated with being a child of the Most High.
Call to Action
Therefore beloved, take time to lavish yourself in the power and presence of the precious Abba Father who desires to spoil you with the abundance of the riches of His glory which is our inheritance in Christ Jesus. In this dry and weary land, we live in today, let your soul thirst for Him and He will give you living water so you will never thirst again. And may the only hunger you feel be a hunger for righteousness that He alone can satisfy, with the fullness of Christ Jesus that fills you to overflowing!
Father, help us to find our identity in You alone. Silent the condemning voices that turn us away from seeking You and fill us to overflowing with the fullness of Your Spirit. May the prayer of our hearts be as David in Psalms 63, “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So, I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power, and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus, I will bless You while I live, I will life up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!