Obsessed vs. Obedient
“Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life” ~~ Romans 8:6 (MSG).
What do you obsess about? What thoughts take you captive daily? What do you think about morning, noon, and night? Are they evil and idolatrous, or godly? The Bible says Believers should think on things that are just, righteous, holy, and pure.
So often our mind obsesses over things and situations. And why? Because we are fearful instead of being full of faith. Our thoughts motivate us to do things that are sinful and leave us in a depressed state even to the point of despairing of life itself.
Obsession is defined as “A thought that repeatedly intrudes the conscious awareness and pressures an individual to take action. The individual is apparently unable to control his thoughts even if he believes the thought and/or action is grossly inappropriate.” (The Christians' Guide to Psychological Terms, 2nd, Ed. Marshall and May Asher, pg. 127.
Here are several examples of obsessive thoughts:
Fear of failure
Fear of embarrassment
Fear of rejection
Fear of germs
Fear of dying
Fear of danger or an intruder
Do any of these strike a chord with your life experience? We could continue by listing more and more of these types of obsessive thought patterns. Are you aware that things we obsess about keep us from His presence and purpose for our lives? In fact these negative thought patterns that have been established can be deceptive and quite sinful. In our flesh we lust after passions and possessions that further drive us away from fully experiencing His great love!
What are the obsessive thoughts that continually replace Christ at the core of your being? To what have you surrendered your thoughts? And how do these types of thoughts play out in your daily life? What controls your thoughts and urges throughout your day? What pressures in life have left you exhausted and depressed? Are you focused on self or Christ? Who are you living for? And do you even know why or how to live differently? These are tough questions to ask ourselves.
When we focus on ourselves, we actually prevent the great power of the Lord from transforming us and developing Christlikeness within us when we choose to control our own outcome and run our own show.
Do you struggle with any of the above fears and obsessions? If so, there is help and healing that only the Cross of Christ can offer.
It Is Time for a Change . . .
Take some time, find a quiet place, and sit before the Lord. Then turn to the Books of Romans and Corinthians and see what the Apostle Paul writes. First he says that we are to renew our minds daily? Next he tells us that we must “take every thought captive” ~~ 2 Corinthians 10:5.
This means that we are not to give place to any thought that takes us away from Him and His great purpose for our lives.
I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating: in order to “put off” and “put on” this new pattern of thinking, we must surrender to Christ and leave at the door (as it were) negative, lustful thoughts, prideful, obsessive, or hurtful thoughts, and then “put on” (or clothe our minds) with thoughts that are pleasing to Jesus Christ. What Does This All Mean?
First: We Must Become Vulnerable . . .
Let's be vulnerable and authentic and listen to what our conscience is saying. We must allow our hearts to be softened and prepared by the Holy Spirit by confessing any and every known sin.
Second: We Must Repent . . .
The Holy Bible urges people everywhere to repent from sin. “...repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away” Acts 3:9 (NLT). This simply means to turn around and go the opposite (or righteous and holy) direction. Only God can enable us to do this, and He will!
Third: Ask for God's Forgiveness . . .
In Psalms 51:1-2, we read: “Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love. Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins! Wash away all my evil and make me clean from my sin!”
If your sin involves other people, you may also need to ask for their forgiveness.
Fourth: Believe in the Truths of God's Word . . .
The truths of the Bible are applicable to everyone. Each of us must
be willing to become obedient through studying, meditating upon the Word of God, and praying daily!
So, right now, become still before Him, and invite Jesus Christ, God's Son into your life. Allow Him to change you from the inside out, then listen and obey what He says.
“The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not part of a fantasy world. God, the Spirit is real and powerful and active in the life of every believer to transform him or her into the image of Christ.” The Christians' Guide to Psychological Terms, 2nd, Ed. Marshall and May Asher, pg. 101.
Obedience takes place when we invite Him in to heal and change our pattern of thinking from obsessive to obedient.
His Word Says . . .
“I will climb up into the watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me and how he will answer my complaint” ~~ Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT).
Take some time. Listen to what He has to say to you. The time you invest with the Lord is so, so worth it!
Psalms 147:3-6 (AMP) reads, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (curing their pain and their sorrows). He determines and counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Great is out Lord and of great power; His understanding is inexhaustible and boundless. The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden.”
Will you believe this promise to be true and speak it aloud over your life? Are you willing to write down these scriptures and read them over and over? Think on what He has already done for you. Are you able to see with His eyes the thoughts that have kept you away from His presence? Are you able to trust in Him to do more than you could ever imagine?
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power and of love and of a sound mind” ~~ 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV).
Will you believe this promise? Be obedient, and allow His Word to flow through your veins and pump new life into your being, transforming your mind. Be willing to hear His voice, press out the dark obsessive thoughts, and replace them with His truth of who you are: Called, Chosen, Beloved, a Victorious, Child of God! Hallelujah!
Be willing to experience His great, unfailing love in a new and deeper way in your life. Trust in His great Word: “And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and grow up and flourish” ~~ Isaiah 37:31 (NLT).
Will you persevere, be full of courage, take heart, and be set free? God will free you from your obsessive thoughts that have held you captive, isolated, and hidden away from the body of Christ when you put your trust in Him. Take hold of this new transformation, and go, serve others, and tell your story of your great hope to all that will hear!
Pray With Me . . .
Lord, I thank You and rejoice over the Good News of Jesus Christ's deliverance from obsessive thinking that brings healing and restoration for my life! Lord, I recognize that I am now being sanctified and regenerated by You! Lord God, please continue to renew and increase my great love for You every day! Lord, I choose to place my trust and keep my eyes on what I cannot see—an eternity with You. Lord, as I am passing through this life, I desire to look more and more like You, love You like I have never loved before, and repent of anything and everything that keeps me from Your presence. I choose to forgive all who have offended me, even 70 times 7, as Your Word teaches. I am now willing to become obedient at all personal costs. You are a good God and only desire my welfare. Therefore, I trust You! Lord, this day I surrender ALL of myself to You. I thank You that You are not finished with me yet! I ask You to transform my life, and renew not only my mind but my spirit, too. In Jesus' Name, Amen!
Additional Scripture Passage for Study . . .
“Now what is our response to be? Shall we sin to our heart’s content and see how far we can exploit the grace of God? What a ghastly thought! We, who have died to sin—how could we live in sin a moment longer? Have you forgotten that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were, by that very action, sharing in his death? We were dead and buried with him in baptism, so that just as he was raised from the dead by that splendid Revelation of the Father’s power so we too might rise to life on a new plane altogether. If we have, as it were, shared his death, let us rise and live our new lives with him! Let us never forget that our old selves died with him on the cross that the tyranny of sin over us might be broken—for a dead man can safely be said to be immune to the power of sin. And if we were dead men with him we can believe that we shall also be men newly alive with him. We can be sure that the risen Christ never dies again—death’s power to touch him is finished. He died, because of sin, once: he lives for God for ever. In the same way look upon yourselves as dead to the appeal and power of sin but alive and sensitive to the call of God through Jesus Christ our Lord” ~~ Romans 6:1-11 (J.B. PHILLIPS).
~ Elizabeth Bowman