Postmodern culture favors an extreme aesthetic. An object must stand out, even if the extreme appearance reduces function. Yet in nature, extremes aren't favored; normal is good.
Ending anorexia begins with a decision to stop battling with weight. The battle could continue forever, and I could waste my life wishing to lose those last five pounds -- vanity weight that no one else would even notice. No one noticed when I gained ten pounds, and I still fit into all of my clothes. With the ten pounds, I've also gained health.
Not only that, I've been able to think about more than food and weight; I'm so much better off physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Weight is about health, not fashion, and is partially determined by genetics...like height and hair color. To end anorexia, the body cannot be thought of as an enemy. True beauty arises from being who one really is.
Eve
When I look at paintings of Eve, why do I have tears in my eyes?
Am I tapping into a collective memory that reaches back to the beginning of time, when humanity was naked and unashamed?
Are they tears shed for the fallen world -- and tears of joy because God has given us redemption?
The root of this anorexia is quite deep. Being thin makes me look childlike rather than feminine...because I long to be innocent, and I'm afraid to grow up; I long to be small and taken care of, like a child. By not eating, perhaps I won't be naked and ashamed, and will reverse the first sin.
Heroin chic
Only a sick society would glamorize sickness.
Being on the brink of death isn't beautiful...and though I believed a lie that less food would make my mind sharper and clearer, the opposite is true; the brain and body work better with enough nutrition, of course.
Recovery will take awhile, and I wonder what I'll be like at the end; until then, I live each day with joy and hope as I make healthy choices.
Extreme asceticism is demonic
Often, Satan doesn't deceive through obvious evil. Rather, he twists the truth. Some asceticism is good, yet I have taken this spiritual discipline to an unhealthy and even demonic extreme.
Satan uses asceticism; the practice is found in many false religions. Perhaps he uses asceticism to weaken people and subsequently gain strongholds. The Pharisees fasted twice per week, yet didn't impress God....They turned ascetic rules into religion, which God never intended. Jesus warned about asceticism, and He wasn't an ascetic.
Eating started to seem sinful and indulgent, a weakness of the flesh. However, God created us to eat; that's how the body functions! He even created a wonderful variety of foods to enjoy -- and joy isn't a sin.
Food isn't an enemy; food is medicine.
Satan uses asceticism; the practice is found in many false religions. Perhaps he uses asceticism to weaken people and subsequently gain strongholds. The Pharisees fasted twice per week, yet didn't impress God....They turned ascetic rules into religion, which God never intended. Jesus warned about asceticism, and He wasn't an ascetic.
Eating started to seem sinful and indulgent, a weakness of the flesh. However, God created us to eat; that's how the body functions! He even created a wonderful variety of foods to enjoy -- and joy isn't a sin.
Food isn't an enemy; food is medicine.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)