It’s been said that eating disorders are an illness of the soul. Today, more than ever, a spirit of hopelessness presses down particularly on adolescents who don’t like themselves or feel as if they can’t do anything right. Many lack a feeling of significance which is crucial to emotional, spiritual, physical and relational stability. Countless teens try to meet these needs through escapism, which can manifest itself as a deadly eating disorder.
Jesus said a relationship with Him is the solution because it brings rest to our souls (
French philosopher of social science, Dr. Rene Girard, developed the idea of mimetic desires. According to Girard, the mimetic desire is motivated by an inner sense that something is missing. His theory is that our desires never come purely from ourselves; rather, they are inspired by the desires of another. The mimetic desire describes our ravenous hunger for wholeness. It is so strong that people willingly stuff themselves with fragmented identities. Deep inside they feel something is missing. The culture and media machine have done a superb job of getting us all to believe something is missing and only more of what they offer will satisfy. Unconsciously, we devour the bait, making us voracious consumers of false gods and images.
Much of our anguish results from unfulfilled desires. Too many of us feel something is missing. Many Christians call it a soul hole. Our soul hole will remain unfulfilled as long as our worldly desires take center stage. That hole was designed solely for God and eternal satisfaction in Him. When we try to fill it with temporal things, our hunger and thirst are never satisfied. Temporal things and substitutes always fall short.
Psychologists Tim Clinton and Joshua Straub, authors of God Attachment, say neurobiological research says, “at some point in your life, whether you think seriously about it now…you will face your need for something more—your need for a relationship with God…But the bottom line is this: You will have to make a choice—a choice that will lead you in only one of two ways, either toward God or away from Him.”
We were created to enjoy the pleasures of life and gifts from God, but we were not created to be filled by them. We were created to be filled by God Himself. He is the ultimate soul hole Filler. He is what we truly crave. When we miss seeing this, we run after lesser things. It’s easy to do in our society. If we want to impress people with our own brand of righteousness, we never will be filled. When we realize our own inadequacy and starvation for fulfillment comes from outside ourselves—far beyond our own abilities—then we are able to receive the real Bread of Life and the River of Living Water—Jesus Christ.
God is telling us we must make a break from the world, from this culture. We have a choice—to stay as we are: disillusioned and safe, but tragically unfilled; or we choose to know Jesus. It is not enough to merely know truth and have head knowledge. We must ingest God’s Word so it transforms our very souls—it affects our attitudes, how we behave and how we relate to others. When truth is lived out, it results in living authentically. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to transform our thinking and as a result our lives. The truth is, being the person God wants us to be requires a total sell-out. It requires falling in line with God’s ways. Sadly, many say, “I don’t want that!” They’ve already eaten the bait—the lies.
If we want to lead an authentic life free from self-destruction, Jesus must become our Way as He was for the disciples. More than any other disciple, Matthew knew how much it would cost him to follow Jesus. Yet he never hesitated. When he left his tax-collecting business, he became permanently unemployed. For the other disciples who were fisherman, they could always return to the sea. For Matthew, there was no turning back.
Two changes happened to Matthew when he chose to follow Jesus. First, Jesus gave him a new life and new identity. He not only belonged to a new group, he belonged to God’s family. Previously a despised tax collector, now he was accepted and worthy to be called a disciple. Second, Jesus gave Matthew a new purpose for his skills. He became their record keeper.
The disciples were ordinary men whose lives were transformed by the power of God. The formation of a close, trusting relationship with Jesus had a great effect on their senses of worth. Jesus met Matthew’s need to feel valuable and loved. He gave him a sense of belonging. He meets our same deep needs.
Scripture says, “Far better to take refuge in GOD than trust in people; far better to take refuge in GOD than trust in celebrities” (
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Kimberly received her M.A. in specialized ministry from Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon. She is a board certified biblical counselor, personal life coach, speaker and founder of Olive Branch Outreach, a ministry dedicated to bringing hope and restoration to those struggling with eating disorders and body image. Kimberly volunteers in student ministries and youth education outreach. She is the author of four books, including Torn Between Two Masters: Encouraging Teens to Live Authentically in a Celebrity-Obsessed World.
