Shifting Focus from Obsession to Faith

What do you obsess over? Do you obsess over your family, your children, your relationship with others? Or maybe you obsess over your job, money, material things. If so, examine yourself to see what you have been obsessing about.

Every day unwanted thoughts enter our minds. Our minds are vulnerable to negative thoughts, causing us doubt, worry, anxiety—and frequently, it’s the same negative thoughts that return over and over that we obsess over.

Obsess is the state of being obsessed with someone or something. To allow someone or something to excessively preoccupy your mind. If you’re like most people, you’ve had the experience of obsessing over something stressful that happened in your day. Or perhaps, you’ve allowed negative thoughts to dominate your thinking, replaying it in your mind over and over becoming a stronghold that keeps you from experiencing the fullness of what Christ paid the price for.

Whatever you obsess over captivates your attention, turning it away from your Creator. You must shift your focus from negative thoughts that dominate your thinking to move forward and release those things to Him.

Here’s a more detailed look at what the Bible teaches about obsession:

Prioritizing Spiritual Matters:

The Bible encourages focusing on spiritual and heavenly goals rather than earthly obsessions, as seen in Colossians 3:2: “Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth”.

Avoiding Covetousness:

The Bible warns against covetousness, which is a form of excessive desire for what belongs to others, as seen in 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have strayed from the faith, in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”.

Practicing Contentment:

The Bible emphasizes the importance of contentment in all circumstances, which can be an antidote to the continuous chase after more, as seen in Philippians 4:11-12: “Not that I speak this out of want, but I have learned in whatever state I am to be content—to have and to not have. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned the secret of both to be full and to hunger, both to abound and to suffer need”.

Avoiding Slavery to Anything:

The Bible cautions against becoming enslaved to anything, including unhealthy obsessions, as seen in 1 Corinthians 6:12: “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything”.

Focusing on God’s Love:

The Bible emphasizes the importance of loving God and others, which can help to counter unhealthy obsessions with self or worldly things.

Romans 8:6-16:

This passage highlights the contrast between focusing on the self and focusing on God, emphasizing that a life centered on God leads to freedom and a spacious life.

1 Corinthians 10:13:

This verse encourages believers to “walk by the Spirit” and not gratify the desires of the flesh, as the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.

Matthew 6:24:

This verse warns against serving two masters, either God or Mammon (wealth), highlighting the importance of prioritizing one’s relationship with God

While the Bible doesn’t explicitly use the word “obsession,” it condemns behaviors and attitudes that lead to unhealthy attachments and excessive focus on worldly things, emphasizing spiritual priorities and content.

So why do people obsess over things? There are many reasons you may find yourself obsessing over something. Different people obsess over different things for different reasons, and some people may be more prone to it than others. Whatever the reason, we can learn to cut down on this negative cycle of thought, or eliminate it entirely once we realize we’re doing it? The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We are instructed in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to, “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

When you find yourself ruminating over negative things, think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

The God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory “will keep you in perfect peace when our minds are steadfast, committed and focused on Him (Isaiah 26:3).

Blessings,

Dr. A.