If there’s anyone who truly knows the “real Jessica,” they know very well that I can be quite OCD.
When I get my mind on something, it engrosses my mind with every fiber of my being. It is like my mind is imprisoned by this overly captivated thought that I dwell on it for hours. So much, that my sister has said to me, “Jessica, just forget about it.”
Crazy, right? But if we can be quite honest with ourselves, most of us tend to have those obsessive tendencies from time to time. Kind of like when you leave the house and you can’t remember if you turned the curling iron off or the stove off. More likely than not, that torturous thought will obsessively dwell in your mind until you have either gone back to check or have begged someone else into checking out the situation for you.
That being said, I like to think there are two kinds of people in this world: the naturally laid-back people and the naturally obsessive people. Webster’s Dictionary defines obsessed this way: “to preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.”
When I got to really thinking about this definition, I came to the conclusion that we are all obsessed. Yes, I just said it. We are obsessed with the thought of love, financial security, safety, acceptance. So we are: we become obsessed. I became obsessed with those thoughts, too.
The Bible talks about how God is like a “consuming fire.” It is like when something catches on fire: It rapidly spreads and consumes the entire atmosphere in flames. God orchestrates His Spirit in the same way that consumes us, but only if we allow Him to do so.
Jesus states in Matthew 22:37, “That we must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.”
Are you obsessed with Jesus?
“People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by the Word of God throughout the day because they know that forty minutes on Sunday is not enough to sustain them for a whole week” – Francis Chan
So let me ask you – what is constantly filling your mind?
Is it the latest feed on Facebook or the amount of “likes” your newest picture on Instagram received? The commandment isn’t that we can love the Lord your God and with some of your mind… or when it’s convenient. Jesus wants to constantly infiltrate every part of your heart, mind, and soul. Just because something is in your mind doesn’t mean it’s always in your heart.
Our God isn’t a God of half-heartedness, so why should we be? He wants us to be obsessed — with HIM. He wants our minds to be filled continually with the things that involved Him. He wants us to find that love, security, safety, acceptance all through Him.
When you think about Jesus’ disciples who shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they seemed a little obsessed didn’t they? Are you obsessed with Jesus that people actually know it?
“A person who is obsessed thinks about heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them” – Francis Chan
Know this: if you’re obsessed, you will never be oppressed. If you’re obsessed, you will always find rest. When Jesus becomes the central focus of your purpose here on earth — your heart, mind, and soul becomes obsessed with and beats after Him. Because really, all that truly matters is what we do for Him.
I would rather be radical than superficial for Jesus. Because that’s a conscious decision we all make everyday in our lives. The question of how radical we are going to be for Christ. We hear his Word on Sunday morning, but to live it out on a day-to-day basis? Jesus states that we should not only be hearers of His Word, but doers also.
Or are we going to strive to do what is only expected and try to obtain the status quo of Christianity by fitting in — or are we more concerned about obeying God’s Word? I don’t know about you, but I want to be obsessed with Jesus!