Hey Everyone,
I've always found it intriguing, and a bit disheartening, that different sins usually receive such different reactions--and sadly, often very different treatment of the people involved.
If someone writes a thread declaring, "I Think I'm Gay--Please Help", what would be your reaction, and, more importantly, your answer, be?
How about if someone wrote, "I Am Obese--Please Help"--would your reaction be as strong or edgy? Would you quote as much Scripture to that person as to the one who wondered if they were gay? Better yet, what if someone simply wrote, "I'm Overweight--Please Help." How would you answer? (When I say "overweight" or "obese", I'm not talking about a medical issue that can't be helped, but rather, someone who is struggling with overeating and the harmful effects are evident on his or her body.)
Let's say that both issues in this case (sexual struggles and weight struggles) are rooted in the same thing--lust. Most people think of lust as being something exclusively sexual, but the definition of lust that I am reading right now says: "Lust: a passionate or overmastering desire; a strong or excessive craving", with the example being, "A lust for power."
Who among us HASN'T lusted for something, and yes, in a sinful way? We've all wanted something, coveted something, or craved something that seems to take over our thoughts and life to the point where we shut God out or think we can achieve something through our own ability. Maybe it's power, prestige, money, or admiration... Lust has a way of manifesting itself in many different ways, and I find it interesting that one can suffer with sexual lust and be automatically shunned, but the person who struggles over an obsession (lust) for eating is received in an entirely different way (is it because so many of us are familiar with this particular type of "overwhelming craving" in our own lives?) Do we "go easier" on the person struggling with food... because we're also trying to go easy on ourselves? Is it because we somehow don't think that lusting for food and eating to the point of harming our own bodies is somehow not a sin? Are we ignoring the planks in our own eyes... and the super-sized sandwich and cola we just ordered for lunch?
I once heard a sermon in which a pastor said, "If you can't resist a hamburger, how are you going to resist a devil that's trying to kill you?"
For me personally, I have always had a soft spot for people who struggle with sexual identity because I've often heard them say things such as, "I always felt different from other people"; "I grew up being an outsider"; and, "I don't know who I am", which are all things I am very familiar with, despite the fact that I have never been attracted to my own gender at all. However, the issues of identity and not fitting in are something I am very familiar with and have a lot of empathy for. I can only speak for myself, but I find that I am usually much more interested in the person and who they are than with the issue they're struggling with.
However, I've noticed time and time again that if someone says they're having issues with sexual identity or addiction, the conversation suddenly becomes all about What They're Doing Wrong and How They Need to Be Corrected rather than about the person themselves, which I find very discouraging.
Why is it that someone who has an issue with overeating isn't treated the same way? Is it because we're often shoveling chips and candy down our own windpipes as we're sitting here typing anonymous answers?
I am genuinely curious as to what your opinions are... and how we can better treat all people, no matter what their fight may be, with a better sense of compassion and respect.
