Please be careful correlating disorders of the mind due to chemical imbalances and sin. It can be like saying that you choose to have cancer due to your sin. Many do not choose to have these illness. The last thing they need is someone telling them that their sin caused the eating disorder. I'm disappointed in the lack of reseach that went into posting this devotion.

Janet. I'm not sure that I understand what you are saying. Do you feel that Anorexia, Bulimia and Exercise Bulimia are chemical imbalances? I'm not disputing what you are saying. I just don't understand.

I know that they become chemical imbalances, but I wasn't aware that they may be caused by chemical imbalances.

Can a person be addicted to God?

also, is he saying that anorexia is a sin? It sounds like it.

I believe that there are two kinds of addiction; (1) a physical or psychological dependence on a substance, such as alchohol or drugs, and (2) a compulsive behavior associated with a person, object or objective. In most instances, addictions are also characterized as unhealthy.

I believe that the addictions associated with eating disorders fall into the second category. They can be extremely dangerous and harmful if not treated. They are not the result of sin, per se, anymore than compulsive overeating syndrome is sin. As Christians, we should be sensitive to all types of behavior that can be harmful to our loved ones, and seek to help them get help.

This should not be confused with people who abuse their bodies by overeating, not exercising, drinking to excess, etc. Unhealthy behavior, absent addiction, is an abuse that Christians and non-Christians should be concerned about.

Eric, I never thought of it that way, but I am certainly a "bondservant" of Jesus. That is, I choose to place my life in his hands and to trust him with my eternal well being. Guess you could call that an addiction, but it certainly isn't unhealthy.

I appreciate your care and concern, Janet, for not wanting the vulnerable to be made to feel guilty about their condition. I do, however, see that such conditions as disorders of the mind, chemical imbalances and addictions are related to sin simply because we live in a fallen world. We do not live in the good world that God originally created. Sin entered in and sometimes it is the person that sins intentionally at first that can lead to addictions. Other times it could be others who sin that lead to another person being in a mental frame of mind to fall into some form of addiction. I think often these type problems are related to the question of who is in control. As for myself sometimes I overeat when I have a sweet "treat" that my body does not need. At that moment I feel as if I am in control even as I know that my pre-diabetic body would be better off without the "treat" and I would be honoring God by refraining from the sweet. If I continue at every opportunity to give into the desire for the sweet then it is an addiction. So one sweet can lead to another and another and then the addiction has control of my life and my health and it may choose the friends I hang out with because I would mostly want to be around friends who idolize sweets. Of course there may be a chemical imbalance that causes such a desire for sweets but in my case I know it is just an issue of going my way or God's way. Either I allow God to be in control guiding my actions or else I am out of control and a substance (sweets) has control. God is so good and He has innumerable ways of helping those who ask Him for help. Sometimes He uses doctors and medication or surgery or He helps people to just stop whatever they are doing and go in another direction with Him in control. He provides resources and people for support. Most of all He loves us through from whatever low state we are in to that better state that He would have us to be in. The guilt felt in the lowness does not come from God but from the accuser who wants to keep us down. God is always picking us up after a fall and encouraging us to get back on His better track for our lives. So I hope you can see that sin is relative as Bryant pointed out but we have hope from God as we struggle to get to His best for us.

Chocolate doesn't count!

Grant & Janet thank you for your thoughtful commentary on this devotion. Both of you always add a lot of helpful insights that I enjoy and appreciate. By the way Erik I'm still praying for you-God bless.

Grant, I just saw your comment about chocolate. I totally agree! I just had to have some hershey kisses tonight in fact :-)

Grant I agree with you chocolate doesn't count, neither does fried apple pies or pecan pies of lemon merianque pei or cocanut cakes... I'll get back to you, I need to go look in my fridge and see if there is anything in there that needs my attention.