I recently realized that something I said in my On Sabbatical page is not completely true and, what’s worse, is that it indirectly says God is a liar. It is true that being Obsessive/Compulsive is a challenge and, under a certain condition, it really does not go away. I did correctly state, in God’s eyes, Obsessive/Compulsive behavior is a sin. Unless God reveals this to a person, O/C behavior will be seen only as a disorder. Obsessiveness/Compulsiveness is a disorder and it really does not go away by human effort. No amount of resolve, medication, or creative maneuvers (e.g., my recent idea to put my blog On Sabbatical) can cure it. If I continued to believe what I said about O/C, I could temporarily repress the urge to behave that way only to have the O/C behavior eventually surface in some other area of my life.
O/C behavior is manifested via the brain. Human behavior experts and God agree on that account. Psychology is a soft science and psychologists cannot go beyond what’s visible. Because the boundaries aren’t clearly visible, often times humanistic thinking crosses those grey areas. When that happens, incorrect assumptions are made. One example of that is the incorrect statement about Asperger people lacking empathy, along with neglecting to mention neurotypical people also lack Theory of Mind (when it comes to their lack of ability to read the non-verbal signals Aspies display).
The reason I didn’t see something like O/C behavior beyond the point I now do is because of allowing psychology to be a stumbling block to what God says about the matter. I’m surprised I didn’t even notice what my words said in describing my blog being On Sabbatical were revealing about my heart.¹ I’m also surprised to learn why self-realization (of behaviors, thoughts, feelings, etc.) has to be turned into Christ-realization and that realizing things about one’s self is not quite what God meant by examining self. I had no idea until just recently how impossible of a task it is for anyone to know himself.
That goes to show how right God is when He tells us in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” God did not intend for mankind to have the ability to make a science out of an area exclusively His domain. Even the apostle Paul had the wisdom to know enough to say in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.”
The certain condition I was referring to that prevents Obsessive/Compulsive behavior from becoming extinct in those who are weak with this area of their life has to do with the heart; not the brain. The heart is what determines brain activity (and the physical conditions of the human body). [By using the term heart, the physical heart is not what's being meant here.]
By my nurturing a victim mentality for too long (psychology can create that effect whether people admit it or not), I remained buried in the subtle grave of believing I will always have a tendency towards being O/C. Believing you have it prevents believing you had it.
For unbelievers, seeing is believing. For believers, believing is seeing.
I’m not sure how much of what’s said in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:…,” pertains to this situation. In Barnes’ Commentary, he said it probably means, “as he is all along in his heart, so is he (at last) in act.”
Just because someone may have God’s Holy Spirit and be saved does not mean he can always know what his own heart is causing him to think. That’s why Christians need to trust that the Lord will reveal what is needed to be known. Until something is brought to His light, we will never see what’s left in our darkness. I knew God works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 is one of my favorite verses, but I didn’t quite comprehend the meaning of the previous verse that says, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Self-righteousness (which is what every religion outside of Christianity promotes) is humanity’s attempt to work goodness into self as one progresses from infancy into mature adulthood. To work goodness out from self requires Christ’s righteousness and Christ to abide within a person. Either self (flesh; carnal nature) is followed or Christ.
For me to think that God will do for me what He tells me He has equipped me to do, is a revelation most people probably wouldn’t understand how it could take as long as it has for me to comprehend. The only reason for me to believe that I have a tendency towards being O/C, and that I have to keep vigilant over when, where, and what will attract that nasty demon back into my life, would be because of not doing what’s said in Philippians 3:13, “…this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…”
For me to refuse to forget about what’s behind me (e.g., the variety of O/C behaviors I’ve struggled to overcome), is a subtle excuse to keep that sin alive in my life. As I’ve already said, the reason O/C qualifies as a sin is simply because it is a behavior that goes against God’s will. I just realized over a couple of weeks ago how 2 Corinthians 10:5, “…and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” connects with all this. O/C behavior cannot exist if every thought is captive to the obedience of Christ.
Last night, when reading page 203 of Oswald Chambers’ book Biblical Psychology, I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 2:16 saying that we [Christians] have the mind of Christ. Christ did not have O/C behavior. When Christ abides within a saved individual, there is no excuse for such behavior to exist. When it exists, it does so only because of refusing to work out the salvation God worked in. In my case, my heart no longer desires to follow after my carnal nature now that God has saved me. If it did, then I would not want to admit I’m excusing my O/C behavior by saying it really cannot go away.²
I can say my recollections of my various O/C behaviors have become a weakness that manifests itself in my life. However, since Paul says of himself in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” I too can take pleasure in infirmities.³ My Obsessive/Compulsive memories are an infirmity revealing a weakness of my mind. If I refused to go the one step beyond that confession, I would be manifesting rebellion in my heart towards God.
In very rough terms, God says, “So what? Big deal. So you’re human and you’re discovering that without Me you’ll never be able to escape sin’s grasp. Who can? That’s why you’ve been given My Son as your savior. I’ve given you an instrument (i.e., Jesus) and the necessary talent/skill/ability (i.e., Christ’s righteousness), now pick it up [His righteousness worked in] and practice to perform [work out] harmonious music to My ears!”
It’s time for me to blow the dust off Christ within, take Him off the shelf I’ve left Him on, and start to do what I’ve been foolishly waiting for God to do for me. Those who don’t have Christ, can only play the thief’s tunes. The world will dance to that beat, but there is no reason why Godly people should.
Because I’m glad to know I can, once and for all, be rid of an old victim mentality, I know I’ve become a new creature. I don’t have to be afraid of it coming back to haunt me. Jesus said in Mark 5:36, “…Be not afraid, only believe.” Piecing together all of what God has to say about the matter of behaviors out-of-sync with His will, once again shows how truth works to set us free!
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57
¹In my heart, I was unconsciously keeping an old flame (i.e., lust) burning. Before becoming saved, my heart’s condition prevented me from being cured of the things not in God’s order for living an abundant life.
²The irresponsible victim mentally will not have it go away. It’s human nature to use the word can’t when, in reality, the appropriate words are usually will not.
³2 Corinthians 12:9 points out it is the power of Christ at work in those areas a Christian is weak. God would not remove the thorn in Paul’s flesh (carnal nature) for his own good. The messenger of Satan was to buffet Paul lest he should be exalted above measure and esteem himself more highly than he ought. There is no room for pride in the statement, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” To remain dependent upon Christ’s strength [power] is a humbling experience.
I got mine from), but so did my NT mom. I shudder to think how horrible my life would have been if I was taken away from my dad or if my children were taken away from me! Yes, I’ve complained about things from my past… BUT my unpleasant experiences were NOT because my dad was an Aspie. When will persons get over their self enough to realize this world wasn’t made to revolve around maximizing self pleasure?!!!
