Preventing Spiritual Anorexia: Believing Differently
Preventing spiritual anorexia as I have written before, requires seeing differently, we must believe differently. Changing what I believe is usually difficult. Fasting used as a focal lens for prayer and as a tool to help me understand my true dependency upon God can aid me in shifting and changing my framework of beliefs. Getting rid harmful beliefs is like casting out a demon in many ways and takes the power that can raise the dead.
Sometimes the beliefs that harm me have a thick protective armor of reasonableness and are interwoven into my worldview. Often I cannot even find these beliefs easily, especially if they are supported and reinforced by my family, friends, and social group. So to find these ‘unseen mountains’ I need the aid of the Holy Spirit in prayer. Every time anger, frustration, smugness, and feelings of self righteousness arise, I must examine those feelings and dig into the beliefs behind them.
Help Whenever I Need It
I am not in this alone, but often I forget to take time for prayer. Transformation requires persistent prayer, and yet I frequently go for days without it. Do I forget to eat? Do I forget to breathe? I need God as much as I need these things.
The only way I can avoid being a spiritual anorexic is devote my life to prayer. And although I can pray anytime, anywhere (Jesus what do I do?), I need regular scheduled times for prayer so that I can remember to breathe in the Spirit throughout the day.
I confess that I have lived much of my life as a spiritual anorexic and often lived for long periods of time suffering from spiritual anorexia. Others probably noticed and God certainly knew it. Looking back, I would have to say some of the indicators for me were excessive attention to religious externals, modes of worship, appearing good, comparison, judgmental attitudes, and a program orientation. When I lived as a spiritual anorexic in a perpetual state of spiritual anorexia, I always expected sermons and the teaching of others to feed me. I didn’t take responsibility for reaching out to to God to feed me. If I think I can eat only on Sunday morning, I will always suffer from spiritual anorexia.
