Our computer screen grew dark and the soundtrack shifted, creating an eerie ambiance. One click of the mouse brought us to an old bathroom sink and musty mirror. Without warning, a ghostly figure appeared in the reflection, the mirror shattered, and all four of us screamed.
Each weekend three friends and I huddled around a desktop computer with the lights off and notepad open to solve Nancy Drew’s newest mystery game.
When I wasn’t playing it with my friends, I recruited my siblings to be my detective sidekicks.
I was a little obsessed with Nancy Drew.
It started with reading the hardcover books, then I discovered the PC games. Half-way into the first game I got stuck and found an online community of fangirls to help me solve the impossible puzzle.
It’s kind of embarrassing to look back on how a fictional character consumed so much of my life. But unfortunately it’s true.
We all know what it means to be obsessed. For some of us, it’s guys – or a particular guy we just can’t stop thinking about. For others, it’s our appearance. Then there are those of us who live in the latest TV series or paperback trilogy, daydreaming about what could happen next to our favourite characters.
What are you obsessed with?
Everyone is obsessed with something, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. God created us to be easily obsessed. The problem comes when we are preoccupied with the wrong things.
Paul’s Story
Recently, I read through the book of Acts and was surprised to notice that even Paul was a guy with an obsession.
The first time we are introduced to Paul is in Acts chapter 7 while he watched the first Christian martyr die.
After watching Steven’s stoning, Paul (also called Saul) “made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” (Acts 8:3)
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2)
This guy literally breathed threats and murder against the church. In other words, Saul’s thoughts and actions were consumed with destroying Christians.
Paul himself says in Galatians:
“You have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (1:13-14)
I think we could say, Paul was obsessed with Judaism and destroying the church.
That is, until he met the risen Jesus. When Paul was on his way to Damascus to bring Christians in chains to Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to him and Paul was never the same.
No longer was he obsessed with Judaism or destroying the church. Instead he became obsessed with Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote, “What things were gain to me [being a Pharisee, keeping the law, and persecuting the church] these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” (Philippians 3:7-9)
Obsessed with Jesus
The book of Acts journeys with Paul across the Roman empire as he preached the gospel of Jesus to everyone he met. It wasn’t something he was forced to do. It was something that he absolutely loved to do.
He loved telling people about Jesus because he was obsessed with Jesus.
God created us to be consumed with one thing. That one thing is Jesus. Not movies, books, guys, or ourselves.
Simply Jesus.
In the middle of my Nancy Drew fangirl-ing phase, God revealed a new depth of the gospel of Jesus to me. For the first time, I really began to understand the length and width and depth and height of His love. I began to understand in a fuller and deeper way, the power of the gospel.
As I became excited about these new truths, God asked me a question: “Are you willing to let go of all other things in order to pursue Me?”
Saying yes to that question would mean my obsession had to change.
I could no longer spend hours in front of a computer game and more hours fangirl-ing about the characters and plot.
If I was going to wholeheartedly pursue Jesus, I couldn’t continue to spend time obsessing over anything else.
Because I believed Jesus was better, I said yes.
When I chose to let go of my obsession to lesser things, I actually became more obsessed with Jesus than I ever had been with Nancy Drew, or any other thing that clamoured for my attention. (Yeah, mystery games weren’t the only thing God had to put His finger on)
Looking back at my journals during that time, I can see a clear shift in my writing. Up until then, I wrote about the weather, what I did that day, and drama between friends. But from that season on, my journals are filled with insight into scripture, prayers, and expressions of desire for Christ.
Can’t I love Jesus and be obsessed with movies?
The truth is, no you can’t. dictionary.com defines the word obsess this way; “to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person).”
As Christians, we are to “pray without ceasing” and “delight ourselves in the Lord always.” Meaning we are to be in constant communication with our Lord.
If your thoughts, feelings and desires are consumed with tv, your appearance, social media, or anything else, they can’t be simultaneously consumed with Christ Jesus.
The hard truth is, any obsession that isn’t Jesus is an idol.
How to Let Go
Idols are really hard to part with. But there is one principle that has the power to set you free to worship Jesus Christ fully and completely.
Ready for it?
Becoming obsessed with Jesus isn’t primarily about letting go of all the idols any more than getting married is about letting go of your own space, your own money, and your own freedom. Becoming obsessed with Jesus does involve letting go of many things, just as getting married does involve letting go of a lot of personal freedoms.
But becoming obsessed with Jesus is primarily about entering into a real, intimate relationship with Him.
God is asking you to let go of all other things in order to gain Him.
If you have tasted the goodness of Jesus, if you have gazed upon His beauty, if you have drawn from the depth of His love, say yes to His question.
Friend, start by asking the Lord to help you understand the depth and width and height and length of His love, and obsession will be the natural outflow of gratitude for our King.
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- What have you been obsessed with lately?
- What is keeping you from surrendering that to the Lord?
- Do you believe He is better?