WHAT'S YOUR OBSESSION?

 Welcome again to today’s post: a wholesome package of self-evaluation concerning obsession.

Obsession is a compulsive or irrational preoccupation.

You may not know you’re obsessed until its toxicity starts showing its effect on you. Here’s my story to discovery of my obsession.

I loved crime novels. There was a particular author that I was in love with and I had read almost all of his books: James Hadley Chase. My dad (of blessed memory) was a legal practitioner and he had quite a number of Chase’ books, so I had easy access to them. I was already used to his books by the time I completed my secondary school education. And the way I read those books back then, you’d think I’ll end up in forensics. 

Then, it got to a time I began to get obsessed with them. Then, gradually, crime novel became one of my essential supplies. 

After sometime, it became toxic. I began to have a detective mindset that I became paranoid. I couldn’t simply trust or believe anymore and it began to adversely affect my spirituality also; I could not take God at His word anymore. 

Someone might ask: are crime novels bad? 

No, they aren’t, but getting obsessed with them is. I came to the realization of this fact, and, thank God it came early: OBSSESSION WITH ANYTHING ASIDE GOD IS TOXIC.

Yeah! Is that surprising?

You know, yours might not be some fictional writing; it might be your work, your love relationship, money, social media, school books, partying, or make-up! Hilarious right, but that’s, well, possible. Have you given it a thought that you might be a workaholic, when you can’t do without work and nothing can come between you and work? Or it might be bae or boo?

Listen darling, if bae or boo is your obsession, you are ingesting a potent slow poison that needs urgent attention and treatment. Because even in a love relationship, God should come first because He is the one that can actually secure your place in your lover’s heart.

To get to know if you have any obsession, try to answer these three questions:

What is the most important thing in your life?

What is that thing that you can never do without?

What consumes the larger percentage of your attention and time currently?

If your answers are consistently the same for the three questions, you’re obsessed with that thing! 

“Your obsession with gods, gods, and more gods, your goddess affairs, you god-adulteries. Gods on the hills, gods in the fields- every time I look you’re off with another god. O Jerusalem, what a sordid life! Is there any hope for you? Jer 13 (extract from 24-27) MSG

Seemingly, obsession gives pleasure-temporarily, but the later effect is greater than any ‘pleasure’ it gave in the first place.

“Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” This is what should be our obsession-GOD.

Another quick one here: your obsession is your god! And that means being obsessed with anything aside God is idolatry. God deserves our priority. “GOD IS NOT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS, HE IS THE IMPORTANT THING.” Apostle Joshua Selman. Idolatry is very displeasing to God and it brings pain to His heart. Life is all about God- God and nothing else:

Everything comes from Him

Everything happens through Him

Everything ends up in Him

Always glory! Always praise!

Yes. Yes. Yes!   Romans 11: (extract from 33-36) MSG.

God is the Ultimate Source of life and living itself.

Every other thing in our lives should be subject to God. Anything that takes our attention away from God is toxic.

God wants us to obsessed with Him, but only the Holy Spirit can teach us how to. He wants us to be happy that we’re around Him. He wants to see us happy and joyous in His presence. He wants UNPERTUBED KOINONIA WITH US. That’s why we are here in the first place. Everything we do here on earth should be a manifestation of our love for Him: career, money, relationships, etc. everything should be acts of worship to Him- the LEGIT OBSESSION.

My story of obsession with crime novels ended when I got introduced to fictions that further illumine my soul with God’s love.

I have a new favorite fiction author: Francine Rivers. You can check up her books. For a starter, I recommend Redeeming Love; the book is beautifully terrific. Now, I can say I’m not obsessed with crime novels, I’m still interested about crime and forensics, but that’s never going to get between me and my Legit Obsession again!

#mylegitobsessionisGod

See you guys next week. Don’t forget to drop your comments and feel free to share. 

Yours in Christ, Lotus.