TLC’s “MY CRAZY OBSESSION” Premiered on Wednesday, March 7 2012.
My Crazy Obsession pulls back the curtains to reveal some of the Nation’s most extreme and unique obsessions. The series takes viewers behind-the-scenes of homes that are dedicated entirely to the owners’ infatuation with various objects, people, or lifestyles.
These individuals go to great lengths to preserve the quality and authenticity of their jaw-dropping possessions and daily routines -- and, for the first time, they’re allowing cameras to document their secret world of unbelievable, one-of-a-kind treasures and sometimes bizarre, never-before-seen habits and rituals. My Crazy Obsession reveals the time, money, and effort required to fulfill and maintain these uncommon passions.
The series kicks off with a couple that boasts a collection of over 5,000 dolls. With their favorite doll, Kevin, by their side, the couple plans play dates and parties to celebrate their always-expanding collection with other doll collectors.
VIDEO: “Cabbage Patch Dolls”
Some other addictions TLC has aired has included: a woman who is completely obsessed with the color pink; a collector of mannequins who prefers them to real people; a wig lover with over 2,000 wigs in her possession; and a squeaky clean couple whose idea of a date night is admiring their collection of washing machines.
I think we would all agree that people have some very odd and CRAZY OBSESSIONS in our world. I for one believe that many of us have some CRAZY OBSESSIONS as well. I believe it is CRAZY when we place anything above Jesus. You know what I’m talking about, whenever we skip out on church, prayer, or anytime with God. When we choose a hobby, a job, entertainment, or even family above God. Any time anything is chosen over our relationship with Jesus, that’s a CRAZY OBSESSION.
Illustration: It is said that about 200 years ago, the tomb of the great conqueror Charlemagne was opened, and the sight that greeted the workmen startled them.
It seems they found his body in a sitting position, clothed in the most elaborate of royal garments, with a scepter in his bony hand. On his knee lay the Holy Scriptures, with a cold, lifeless finger pointing to Mark 8:36: What good is it for someone to gain the world, yet forfeit their soul?
There are certain things we need to stop doing in our lives if we are serious about being Christians.
- First of all I believe that we simply need to learn to give up.
I. LEARN TO GIVE UP.
A. Do you feel that the Lord has asked you to give up anything in particular? Many of us will say “NO” because we haven’t ever really thought about it.
1. Jesus wants us to give up everything that we are holding onto that keeps us from focusing totally on Him. What’s the one thing that you said you would never give up that controls you?
Matthew 4:18-22 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. “Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
2. Let’s place ourselves in this story. What would you have done if you had been in their positions? Some of you might have chosen to keep on fishing. And you can substitute anything you like to do in the place of ‘fishing’. Whatever you come up with, is it the thing that Jesus wants you to give up?
3. I am talking about giving up whatever it is that drives our lives. What is it that controls your life? What kind of relationship do we want with Jesus is not the question. The question is simply, “What kind of relationship does Jesus want with us?”
4. Many Christians today do not have the kind of relationship with Jesus that we ought to have because we are driven by our own selfish desires and we think nothing of our true commitment to Christ.
5. Each one of us has been given a ministry by God. It might be a ministry within the church, and it might be a ministry where you help others outside the church. But there is something all of us have been called to do.
6. Jesus desires each of us to have a serving relationship with him. He calls us to leave the world and all the things CRAZY things in it that you have an OBSESSION with and be totally OBSESSED with him and his service.
7. The CRAZY OBSESSIOIN we hold onto can be anything in your life that keeps you from being a true disciple of Jesus – anything that keeps you from focusing fully on what He wants you to do. We need to Learn to Let Go of it.
- And we need to Learn to Be Dependant on Him.
II. LEARN TO BE DEPENDENT ON HIM.
A. We need to learn that we are weak without Jesus and we need the strength of God helping us. And to get His help, we must trust Him with our lives.
Illustration: There was a sign in a textile mill once that said, “When your thread becomes tangled, call the foreman.”
A young woman was new on the job. Her thread became tangled and she thought she would straighten it out by herself. She tried, but the situation only got worse. Finally she called the foreman. She told him that she had done the best she could, and he said, “No you never. If you would have done your best, you would have called me first.”
If we want to have the best life we can, we need to learn total dependence on God. And the one thing we must do before we can accomplish that is to humble our attitudes so that we can humble our hearts. If we don’t do that, we lose everything.
1. God puts the full weight of our responsibilities in our hands. We need to remember that we are too weak to carry that load without the strength of God helping us. And to get His help, we must trust Him with our very lives.
2. God is not interested in what we can do for Him, but He delights in our trusting Him in all we do for him.
3. All the people that Jesus talked to fell into three categories; the ‘convinced’, the ‘curious’, and the ‘committed’. For example, the disciples that left their nets, their boats, and their father were not just curious. And, they were way past convinced. They were committed.
4. The curious show up to church but don’t try to get involved in the church. They want to show up physically but have no desire in showing up spiritually. These people will forever be on the outside, looking in.
Illustration: These types of people are much like the employee that punches a time clock but are not dedicated to do anything else. They expect to get their paycheck but really aren’t doing their responsibilities. These types of workers are lazy and poor employees that more than likely receive negative evaluations from their bosses and stand a great chance of not retaining their jobs.
Now don’t get me wrong here. I don’t believe Jesus is going to fire us but I for one do not want a bad evaluation from Him when my job here on earth is over and I stand before Jesus.
5. The convinced are dedicated. They get involved in the church, and they know God is real. But since they will not give up their CRAZY OBSESSIONS of the world, they can only know about Jesus, they cannot know Him personally.
6. They are too OBSESSED with what they can gain in the here and now rather than what Jesus offers them. They know very well what is desired of Jesus but are just unwilling to totally accept His full complete call. They want to skate by in this life only doing the bare minimum, they are much like small children that continue to be dis-obedient that know better but really have no desire in changing their ways.
7. The committed are the ones who have made a definite decision in life to walk with Christ – no matter what the consequences are. The mark of a dedicated Christian is their dependence on Jesus and allowing him to lead them, no matter what direction it happens to be. And that leads into the third thing we need learn. We need to learn to stop trying to lead ourselves and allow Jesus to lead us.
III. LEARN TO STOP TRYING TO LEAD.
A. There are too many people in church today who like to sing, “Wherever I Lead, He’ll Go.” Rather than “Wherever Leads, I’ll Go”. We have a CRAZY OBSESSION with our own self-importance. The problem is, we have no importance without Jesus in our lives.
1. If we were to stop trying to lead God in the pursuit of our desires, and let Him lead us in the pursuit of His desires, the mission fields would be full; our pews would be full; and our lives would be full. We would stop seeking happiness in other things and we would see a decline in CRAZY OBSESSIONS.
2. If we are willing to let Jesus lead, just where will He lead us? I don’t know. He might lead us to get more involved in the community or the church. He might lead us to completely change our lifestyle. It could be anywhere, but one thing is for certain. If you learn to be led, he will lead you to give up the CRAZY OBSESSION that keeps you from Him.
3. Jesus needs people who are willing to follow him to the ends of the earth. I’d love to tell you that you can make this kind of commitment casually and it won’t affect your fishing trips or your Baseball games but that is simply not true.
4. Being a dedicated Christian is something that requires a very real commitment. Those that want to live with God, but don’t want to give up the things of the world will never fully receive all that Jesus has to offer. You may not be called to go into the preaching ministry; you may not be called to go into the mission field; but He will call you into serving Him in some way or another.
5. When you are called, what category will you fall into? Will you be among the curious, the convinced, or the committed?
6. Jesus came to take away the sins of the world. Jesus wants you to follow Him with your life, but to do so; you must be rid of your CRAZY OBSESSIONS.
7. When you follow Jesus, you have to realize that there is only one leader, and it isn’t you, no matter how much you’d like for it to be. Jesus is your leader – fully and completely, or He isn’t in your life at all.
8. Jesus has a job for you to do. He wants to have a relationship with you more than just a casual acquaintance on Sunday mornings. He wants you to realize that outside of Him, you have no strength; you have no hope; you have no comfort; and you have no life. You only have CRAZY OBSESSIONS that keep you from Him and His Will.
