OCD: Problems of a Perfectionist
I grew up as the oldest of my household. Perfectionism was my greatest goal. It was also my greatest enemy (or should I say, a tool of the enemy).
I recently came across this quote by Tim Keller: “People are messy; therefore, relationships will be messy. Expect messiness.”
How often I have beat myself down (or others) in the process of looking for perfection. Thankfully, God does not look at perfectionism: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:8
Thankfully, there is an element of grace that upholds us even when we fall from the impossible, perfectionist standard. So often, it is so easy to listen to others as they bog us down with their ideas of what a “perfect” Christian is. We often listen to them, and may even be guilty of the same thing—bringing others down on a “legalistic” approach.
Jesus stated in John 15:5: “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’”
Oftentimes, people think that if they pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, they’ll make it in the Christian life. While this is a somewhat admirable aim, the truth is, apart from Christ, we can do nothing. All our good attempts mean nothing if we are doing it in and of ourselves.
There are many legalistic Christians out there that create unnecessary burdens that hinder the sincere Christians. Back in Jesus day, they were called “Pharisees.” They can be described as the following: “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” ~ Matthew 23:4
Those of us who struggle with OCD may have encountered some of these Pharisee types. The pride of the Pharisees brought others down. They wanted to be esteemed, and they thought they knew everything. I believe there is hope for a Pharisee. I also think that if we, as Christians, are not careful, we can fall into this trap of hypocritical Christian living. If we ever leave Jesus out of the equation for just a miniscule second…then we can be sure that something is NOT from God. Jesus needs to be glorified every step of the way.
So, in moving forward, if you struggle with OCD, let me offer you (and I) these questions and suggestions: have you become works-oriented lately? Have you become a slave to the law? Suggestion: fall in love with Jesus again. Let Him guide you. Bask in His forgiveness. There truly is freedom found in Jesus alone.
God bless <3
* SONG: "I'm thankful for the scars 'cause without them I wouldn't know Your heart..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It1XzDf-pFo