Right From The Heart 1-Minute DevotionsSample

Bodily Abuse

Christianity teaches that the body is the temple of God's Spirit and that we are to take care of our bodies. But gluttony and obesity in America are at epidemic levels. And primarily among teenage girls and young women, the sin of gluttony can result in the opposite extreme--an eating disorder.

The original intent of those who suffer from eating disorders was to take care of their bodies by eating less. But over time they can become obsessed by controlling their food intake in a way that is similar to gluttony, but with the opposite effect.

There are three main types of eating disorders:

Anorexia--eating too little or being rigidly obsessed with avoiding perceived unhealthy foods.

Bulimia--binge eating and then throwing up or taking laxatives to avoid weight gain.

Exercise Bulimia--an obsession with exercise without enough caloric intake to replace the caloric output.

Each can bring great harm to the body. And like all addictions, whether food, booze, drugs, or sex, the addiction substitutes for the place of God in the addicted person's life. Anyone suffering from an addiction that harms the body, should seek God's forgiveness and His help. Others can then come alongside to help achieve victory over the unhealthy addiction.