OCD
Pt. 1 - The Standard of The Sleeve
I. Introduction
I am sure it began in elementary school. Looking at the shoes the other kids were wearing. Examining who had the most friends or could jump further when we played the game where you jumped the two ropes on the ground. However, in my day, it was never more apparent than in high school due to letter jackets. It was important to make sure you had every patch you earned right there on your arm and if you were really gifted onto your back. It was the standard of the sleeve. It was the scale used to measure achievement. We wore them proudly and with a little swagger. It was just the beginning of OCD - Obsessive Comparison Disorder. Now, as adults, it intensifies until we compare cars, houses, careers, bank accounts, vacations, spouses and kids. We have become completely obsessed with keeping up with the Jones. The problem is that in the process of being sick with it we are unable to be everything that we are supposed to be in Christ. In fact, the reason that some of us can't and won't make the moves we talked about to start the year is that we are so caught up in watching what everyone else does or doesn't do that we become stuck. We judge their worship against our worship, their movement against our movement, their prayer life against our prayer life, their level of freedom against our freedom and in the process, we plateau! So, what I want to do over the next couple of weeks is expose this debilitating disease and show you the danger and the high price of OCD and also look at the prescription that will allow you to fix this. Then we want to get very specific about some of the symptoms of OCD so that we can apply the prescription to bring healing.
For a scriptural backdrop let's go to . . .
1 Samuel 18:5-11 (NLT)
Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike. When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.
OCD is on full display here.
David has just unexpectedly defeated Goliath. The victory causes Saul to notice David and to bring him to live in the palace. There is a relationship established here. One of the prizes for defeating Goliath is that David marries the King's daughter. So now he is part of the family. David's success continues. Everything he touches turns to gold. So then when the army is returning home Scripture says the women of the city come out to sing. Their song causes Saul to develop a deadly case of OCD! Saul can't get his eyes off of David's sleeve and the multiple patches placed there.
I think it is important to stop and consider a couple of things from this account and the lessons we can learn about OCD.
1. OCD kills joy!
Notice until the songs begin to be sung about David, that Saul is doing great. He has been handpicked and hand selected by God to be king. He has moved and settled into a palace. He is sleeping between satin sheets. He has servants to serve him his meal. He is thriving as king. He is undefeated in battle. However, as soon as OCD kicks in a tormenting spirit overtakes him.
Mark Twain had it right when he said, "Comparison is the death of joy."
Saul embraces this truth . . . "the key to success is comparing yourself to everyone every da. Then let that anxiety and fear propel you to work harder, faster and with more motivation." Oh, by the way the guy who said that had a nervous breakdown when he was 27. Saul has a breakdown simply because he is overcome by OCD.
One man rightly said that "Comparison is an act of violence against the self."
Saul is trapped by comparison to David. He sees David killing it. David's success led to his sickness. David has connections Saul only wished he had, and he becomes sick! He loses his joy.
How many of us have lost our joy simply because we have begun to focus on what other people have that we don't? We were good until they got the car. We were good until they got the job. Our house was more than adequate until they moved into their house! We were good until they got blessed, got healed, got promoted. OCD kills joy!
2. OCD will cause you to overlook what God has done through you.
Notice who the women came out to meet. It says they came out to meet Saul. Wait . . . look at that again. They came out to meet Saul. They didn't come out to meet David. The women sing about Saul and David. It wasn't like they only sang about David.
OCD caused Saul to overlook his own accomplishments. He underestimated what God had done through him. He was wise enough to let David, an unproven, untested young man go to war on behalf of the nation. He was wise enough to elevate David. He was undefeated in battle as the king of Israel. He has killed his 1000's!
In fact, the truth of the matter is that it should have been David should have been the one upset. He could have been like Saul didn't do anything today why are they singing about him?
But OCD will cause you to look past the hand of God in your life. Some of you are upset and depressed right now because someone else you are watching is killing it and is being successful. The problem is your OCD is causing to miss the fact that you have been favored by God. You miss the fact that God has grown you, used you, anointed you, chosen you. You forget the fact that you have won victories that others have lost. Your marriage has survived what would have destroyed other marriages. Your children are the children others wished they had. The job you are hating right now is the job others are praying and asking God for. The addiction you have beat would have killed others. The sickness you fought back from would have taken others out. You made a significant difference in the lives of others. What He has used you to do matters!
I just came today to try to get you to get your eyes off their sleeve and look at your own. God has used you. God has won victories through you. Quit wishing you had their life, their wife, their victories. God has used you! Just because they are singing about their wins doesn't mean God hasn’t used you to win! Look at the signs of victory in your own life!
If you don't look at your own sleeve and remember what God has done in and through you, then when others have songs sung about them it will cause you to lose your joy and trade your gratitude in for a grudge!
3. OCD will cause you to assassinate an ally.
Saul has secured an ally. A young man that knows his place. A young man who refuses to touch God's anointed. A young man full of honor and respect. David is fighting battles for you Saul that you are unwilling to fight. He is laying the head of your enemy at your feet. He just saved your kingship for you. Saul's reaction doesn’t match David's actions. Why? OCD! Instead, Saul's OCD causes him to compare himself to David after the women did. He probably wouldn't have had an issue if the numbers in the song had been changed. However, his OCD causes him to pick up a spear and to throw it ad David twice. He literally tries to assassinate his ally. This causes Sauk to spend all of his time, energy and resources on hunting David when all David was doing was trying to serve Saul. OCD caused Saul to attack someone who was trying to serve. His perspective was so clouded that he couldn’t discern the difference between the two.
How many of us become so sick with OCD that we begin to act irrationally towards an ally? Some of you are throwing spears at people who are actually promoting and protecting you. You are attacking people who are fighting for you. Anyone who's gift takes attention off your gift becomes a threat. Anyone who's anointing causes people to notice them is a threat. Anyone who begins to get favor (probably because of their relationship with you) becomes a target for your tongue, your accusations, your mistrust. Why do I keep hammering this truth home? Because I keep watching as too many of our folks destroy divinely appointed relationships. Walk away from people that are propelling them towards growth and gain! If you don’t deal with OCD, then you will eventually attack your 4.
Now most of us see ourselves as David in the account. However, the truth is not everyone is David in the story. Some of us are Saul. We find ourselves consumed by comparison and it is making us sick. Quit looking at their sleeve! Look at your own. Quit attacking allies.
