OCD for Jesus
There are very few things that I am certain about as it pertains to the human race as a whole but one thing that I believe to be true about everyone is that each of us is passionate about something.
Stop and think about it for a minute and my guess is that the thing that you are most passionate about in life will come to mind. As it comes to mind, you may even smile a little and begin the process of reliving specific periods of time or events. If you think about it for a few more minutes, you may even be able to describe in great detail how you were feeling, smells and sounds, who was with you, what you were wearing, etc., etc. Now, stop for a second and try to recall what you did on April 1st of this year. Chances are that if you were not doing something that you were passionate about, you may be unlikely to recall the events associated with this day without looking at the calendar on your phone. If that describes you, don't panic as there is nothing wrong with you; it is simply indicative of what you were doing and how that relates to what you are most passionate about.
Now, think with me for a moment about your journey in life with Jesus. Using the same exercise we just went through, can you recall or describe anything associated with the time that you are spending with our Lord and Savior or are you drawing a blank? If it is the latter, perhaps it is time to take a look at that and figure out where the disconnect is. My fear, much as I wrote about the concept of "normal" in my last blog, is that many of us have fallen victim to another concept prevalent in society identified as "Grin and bear it" or "Fake it till you Make it". As much as I dislike the idea of normal, I dislike this equally as much and I am here to tell you my brothers and sisters in Christ that your spiritual life does not have to be like this...
One of the things that I love about those who have entered into this spiritual walk with me (you know who you are) is the obsessive/compulsive, or OCD, passion that they have for Jesus. Listening to them talk about the Risen Savior is very much like watching someone who is near starvation eat in the sense that they cannot get enough. They have found, each in their own way, a relationship with Christ that is feeding their soul and in listening to and talking with them, further causes me to hunger for my own OCD relationship with Christ. There are time in which, using an analogy, we are all gathered together at an all you can eat buffet and are determined to bankrupt the establishment due to our ravenous appetites.
So, here is the good news. For those who do not already have this OCD relationship with Jesus, you can have it as well. Go back to that thing hat you identified previously as what you were most passionate about. Think about it for a minute, close your eyes and visualize a memory associated with it. As you look around, can you see Jesus in the picture hanging out with you? Can you see yourself talking having a conversation with Him, slapping high-fives, laughing and carrying on.... Now as you open your eyes, think about how you can integrate the two? With few boundaries actually in place, I believe that there is a way that this can happen. For example, if your passion involves sports, it may be organizing a recreational team. If your passion involves music, it may be organizing a concert at your church. If it is movies, it may be a movie night at church, a couples outing event or the ever popular guys night out. No matter what your passion is, I believe that there is a way in which it can be incorporated into your spiritual life and as a result, your spiritual life can be "reborn".
If you are reading this and thinking to yourself that this Jim guy doesn't have a clue, my response to you is that you are probably right. I don't know and furthermore would not even begin to pretend that I know the specifics about your spirituality and your life. My passion is, however, to see the same level of OCD for Jesus in my brothers and sisters around the world as I feel within my heart.
Your brother in Christ,
Jim
Stop and think about it for a minute and my guess is that the thing that you are most passionate about in life will come to mind. As it comes to mind, you may even smile a little and begin the process of reliving specific periods of time or events. If you think about it for a few more minutes, you may even be able to describe in great detail how you were feeling, smells and sounds, who was with you, what you were wearing, etc., etc. Now, stop for a second and try to recall what you did on April 1st of this year. Chances are that if you were not doing something that you were passionate about, you may be unlikely to recall the events associated with this day without looking at the calendar on your phone. If that describes you, don't panic as there is nothing wrong with you; it is simply indicative of what you were doing and how that relates to what you are most passionate about.
Now, think with me for a moment about your journey in life with Jesus. Using the same exercise we just went through, can you recall or describe anything associated with the time that you are spending with our Lord and Savior or are you drawing a blank? If it is the latter, perhaps it is time to take a look at that and figure out where the disconnect is. My fear, much as I wrote about the concept of "normal" in my last blog, is that many of us have fallen victim to another concept prevalent in society identified as "Grin and bear it" or "Fake it till you Make it". As much as I dislike the idea of normal, I dislike this equally as much and I am here to tell you my brothers and sisters in Christ that your spiritual life does not have to be like this...
One of the things that I love about those who have entered into this spiritual walk with me (you know who you are) is the obsessive/compulsive, or OCD, passion that they have for Jesus. Listening to them talk about the Risen Savior is very much like watching someone who is near starvation eat in the sense that they cannot get enough. They have found, each in their own way, a relationship with Christ that is feeding their soul and in listening to and talking with them, further causes me to hunger for my own OCD relationship with Christ. There are time in which, using an analogy, we are all gathered together at an all you can eat buffet and are determined to bankrupt the establishment due to our ravenous appetites.
So, here is the good news. For those who do not already have this OCD relationship with Jesus, you can have it as well. Go back to that thing hat you identified previously as what you were most passionate about. Think about it for a minute, close your eyes and visualize a memory associated with it. As you look around, can you see Jesus in the picture hanging out with you? Can you see yourself talking having a conversation with Him, slapping high-fives, laughing and carrying on.... Now as you open your eyes, think about how you can integrate the two? With few boundaries actually in place, I believe that there is a way that this can happen. For example, if your passion involves sports, it may be organizing a recreational team. If your passion involves music, it may be organizing a concert at your church. If it is movies, it may be a movie night at church, a couples outing event or the ever popular guys night out. No matter what your passion is, I believe that there is a way in which it can be incorporated into your spiritual life and as a result, your spiritual life can be "reborn".
If you are reading this and thinking to yourself that this Jim guy doesn't have a clue, my response to you is that you are probably right. I don't know and furthermore would not even begin to pretend that I know the specifics about your spirituality and your life. My passion is, however, to see the same level of OCD for Jesus in my brothers and sisters around the world as I feel within my heart.
Your brother in Christ,
Jim
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