Have you considered allowing God to have a greater role in your eating disorder recovery, but you find that something is holding you back? Perhaps you feel guilty over your eating disorder behaviors or maybe you feel unworthy of God’s help. If you do feel like this, please remember that you can’t earn His help anyway, but that you can be a recipient of His grace.
God’s work in our lives is not dependent on us. In other words, we don’t earn, and we can’t earn, what He gives to us. As we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and become believers, it is a result of His grace, not because of anything we can do ourselves. We see this clearly spelled out in Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. From this time forward, we would do well to remember this same favor remains with us. We don’t earn God’s help, His blessings or His strength. Instead, we realize that He blesses us because He loves us.
While battling an eating disorder, it’s common to feel timid about going to God. You might feel guilty, ashamed or embarrassed over your eating disorder behaviors. If you do feel this way, please keep this in mind. If you don’t go to the Lord about your behaviors, this is not going to stop Him from knowing about them. But it could stop you from inviting Him to have a greater role in your recovery, from getting the strength you need from Him, or ultimately, even from breaking free of your eating disorder. Besides, Ephesians 3:12 tells us, “In him and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” You need not be afraid to approach Him. He is waiting for you. Just come to Him as you are, no matter what is on your mind and no matter how you feel. There is no point in letting anything stop you from approaching God.
You might also want to ask yourself this question, “What do I think God will do or say if I go to Him about the struggles I face with this eating disorder?” Then pay attention to what comes to mind. The answer or answers you come up with might be telling as far as your view of God. You might even want to discuss this matter with your pastor or another trusted believer.
When you feel weak, remember His grace, the grace spoken of in 2 Corinthians 12:9, But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. His power is available to you as you work through the underlying issues as well as the behavioral challenges in recovery.
Remember His grace. Also remember that you can do nothing to earn His power, but you can still receive it. This is why it’s called grace. He offers it to you in abundance. Take it in and allow God to have a greater role in your eating disorder recovery.