Anita Ojeda 
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Ever heard of spiritual orthorexia? Probably not, because I made up the term. I can’t do that, right? Find out what it is and why it matters.
Spiritual Orthorexia? What’s That?
Have you ever known a health food junkie? You know, one of those people who spend hours and hours reading up on the latest health news, purchasing the purest vitamins, and watching everything that passes over their lips and heads towards their stomach? A true health food junkie will get up in your business when they see you reaching for a bag of Hot Cheetos or contemplating dessert at a restaurant.
Don’t get me wrong. Self-care has four aspects, and one of them involves finding physical wholeness. But wholeness doesn’t include imbalance. It’s easy to slip over the edge of balance into true junkie status. On today’s podcast, I’ll share how I first discovered Orthorexia Nervosa and why it led me to coin the term spiritual orthorexia.
We can easily slip over the edge of balanced spiritual self-care into the abyss of spiritual orthorexia. As a closet legalist, I have to assess myself regularly for signs of spiritual orthorexia. The Bible offers simple solutions to help us keep our spiritual self-care balanced and in line with Biblical principles.
I’d love to hear from you whether or not I’m the only one who struggles with closet legalism and spiritual junkiehood. What do you do to combat right-living creep?
Show Notes
Health Food Junkies: Orthorexia Nervosa – the Health Food Eating Disorder
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Today is the first time I listened to the podcast portion of your post. I had wrongly assumed that it was the same as the blog. I will be listening again. I learned so much today.
Barb Hegreberg recently posted…6 Word Poetry #64
I’m glad you took the time to listen in and that you found it valuable!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring
Thanks for sharing more valuable food for thought, my friend!
Shelbee
Thanks for stopping by!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring
Well! I better listen to this podcast even though I feel it might step on my toes!
Jerralea Winn Miller recently posted…Teaching by Example
I don’t mean to step on toes! I just want people to consider their blindsided ;).
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring
This is an interesting concept that I will definitely give some thought to!
Lauren Renee Sparks recently posted…Another Aspect of Grace: Easter Reflections
I find myself struggling against my legalistic alter ego all too often!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring
I agree that some can get off-track from biblical teaching, especially in the area of outward appearance. But that doesn’t mean every difference between our convictions and interpretations and those of others means that they are legalistic. There are about six different ways to interpret the passage about head coverings, and many women wear them because they believe that’s what the Bible teaches. Most of the ones I know aren’t legalistic about it (thinking everybody should do what they do to be right with God)–they understand there are different interpretations and leave others to do what they feel right. (Of course, there are those who ARE legalistic about it, and that’s wrong, but that doesn’t mean they all are).
In some cases, differences of conviction are Romans 14 matters. I used to think that since all believers are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit, we should all come to the exact same place in our convictions. But that’s not what Romans 14 says. It says people can do the exact opposite things (eating meat or not, observing days or not) as unto the Lord. And we’re not suppose to judge each other or despise each other over these things. Some of these things are taken care of with maturing in the faith and increased knowledge of our Bible and our God.
Sometimes, too, these things are a matter of an oversensitive conscience. I had this problem for years. I knew conscience was a tool of God, but I finally realized it can be off-kilter and has to be trained (for instance, some tribes’ consciences don’t have trouble with cannibalism). The more we’re in the Word of God, the more our consciences align with what it teaches and not whatever our culture has taught us.
Barbara Harper recently posted…Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Important?
Thank you for your well-reasond response, Barbara. It’s easy to slip into disordered eating, and it’s easy to slip into a disordered relationship with rule-keeping. Over and over in the Old Testament, the prophets tell the Israelites they have failed because they don’t protect the widows and orphans (but we know they’d been working on their rule-keeping because by the time Jesus comes, he comments on it.
Healthy spiritual self-care involves taking the time to ask ourselves WHY we do the things we do. Is it because someone told us to? Or is it because we’ve studied our Bibles with the aid of the Holy Spirit and feel convicted?
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring
Great truths, Anita, “Not to focus on right living (students of the Law), but the Living God (student of Him). Obedience is better than sacrifice. We need to walk in justice, mercy, humility and love.”
Lisa Blair recently posted…The Great I AM – 8 Truths of Jesus
Relationship over rules (especially if the rules are standards and not principles!).
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring
There is a fine line between license and legalism. We should definitely be thoughtful of where we are on that! I do love time in my books reading about spiritual life and theology. I recognize that I must be willing to put down the books and love my family in practical ways and live for Christ/not just read about Him.
I kind of look at it like a relationship with a person–I can look at baby books, yearbooks, talk to people who know the person I’m in a relationship with, but if I let that become my focus, I don’t really get to know the person.
Anita Ojeda recently posted…Delightful Sweet Romances from Best-selling Authors to Read This Spring