Last night I learned a new term.  Orthorexic.  It’s used to describe people who fixate on eating a very small number of foods and view all other foods as toxic.  It goes beyond the vegetarian or vegan diet in an obsession about what  CAN’T be eaten, taking all the joy out of their eating experience, their relationships and their overall well being. It’s all they can think about. It can lead to malnutrition and even death.  The ironic thing is, this sickness most often begins as a desire to be more healthy.  Too much of a good thing turns bad.

I can relate to this in so many other areas of my life.  God gives an amazing gift – an opportunity, an ability, a passion – but that very good gift can become a central focus and eat up all my TIME, my ENERGY and my HEART.  I lose balance.  It begins to control me by eating up my TIME, my ENERGY and my HEART.  Those things that once gave me joy start to steal it from me. They consume me.

If something grabs my heart so profoundly there’s a problem.  Several years ago, Brittany and I went to Uganda on a missions trip.  At the end of the trip I had the opportunity to white water raft on the Nile River.  Who could pass up an opportunity like that, right?  After a quick lesson, a helmet and a life jacket, we went out to face the level 5 and 6 rapids.  At first it was thrilling.  We sat upright in the boat and paddled away, happy and singing.  We were on top of the water where we belonged.  Life was good.

But then we hit a huge rapid that changed everything.  Our boat overturned and we were thrown into the water.  Every time we tried to come up for air, another raging wave of water would come at us making it impossible to breathe.  At one point I was trapped
under the boat with waves roaring over the top of me.  I was terrified.  But under that boat was a pocket of air.  A chance for me to catch my breath and gather my thoughts and realize that if I came out of this alive, I would not go through another rapid.  I would find my way to shore and call it a day.

When the water was under me, things were good.  The boat was balanced.  But when things got crazy, the water consumed me, dragging me under.  I lost my balance and things went downhill fast.

I don’t think that most of our struggles are with bad things, but with good things gone bad.  When we lose balance and let things, interests or even people take God’s rightful place in our lives.  What started out as God’s “good and perfect gift” ends up stealing our devotion.

Jesus, give me the wisdom to step out of the boat that is threatening to turn me upside down.  Help me to use the things that You’ve given me to show my devotion to You.  Help me to worship the Giver and not the gift…

James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Luke 10:27 – He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’