Sermon On Obsession

John Ortberg, an American evangelical Christian author once remarked: “Being deeply contented with God in my everyday life is a focused attitude. It is always available. It means practising letting go of my obsession with how I’m doing. It means training myself to learn to actually be present with people, and seeking to love them.” Psalm 119:1-8 states: “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!”

Obsession is defined as an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind. It includes a compulsion to adhere strictly to an intended purpose and without wavering under any circumstances. It can be considered as neurotic and relates to an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. (OCD) As a result, people may appear fearful or apprehensive at the slightest deviation from what they consider normality.

Many people in life suffer from bad experiences from time to time. Their in-built coping mechanism usually overcomes the problems associated with them naturally. For some, however, the coping strategies need extra help and sometimes people resort to procedures that are not considered as normal. They adopt this lifestyle in the hope that the occurrence will never return. They devise safeguarding methods that they personally feel happy about which may lead them to a life of constantly repetitive activities that invoke a feeling of self-security. Psalm 91:1-6 reminds us: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord: “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”

Time is a precious commodity, we probably all acknowledge that, but should we allow it to dominate our lives? There was once a man who was obsessed with time. Time ruled his life. He would rise every morning at 06:50, shower and then have breakfast. He would leave his house at 08:03 precisely every working day to walk to the station to catch the 08:24 train to London where he worked. He would take lunch at 14:00 and return to the office at 15:00.

He would leave the office at exactly 17:30 and make his way home. He would allocate thirty minutes exactly to play games with the children before they went to bed. He expected dinner to be prepared and ready to eat by 19:00 and would retire to bed at exactly 22:30 every evening.

There is a proverbial phrase: “Time and tide wait for no man.” This specifically relates to the passage of time and events which are unable to be held static. No living person has the power or ability to stop its natural progress. Time will never remain still. It has been stated that if we utilize time to its best effect then we can achieve great things. Some may reason that by adhering strictly to time, our lives become organized and productive.

However, there is reason and there is ramification. If we follow the progression in life of adhering strictly to time, then our lives can become inflexible. We are constantly committed to performing procedures at specific times. There is little freedom to enjoy life as we should be able to. We are restricted to conformity. To adhere to time to a certain degree is fine but if we allow it to rule our lives then problems may occur. Romans 12:2 reminds us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Punctuality is an important aspect of life as it displays dependability. It shows respect and self-assurance. It can even be considered virtuous. It applies to many events whether they be social or business-related.

Different cultures denote the importance of time in independent ways. Some adopt the laid back attitude of “mañana” in a general lifestyle which translated literally means “Tomorrow.” Other cultures consider it of more importance and may deem it as extremely impolite and even an insult to be late. It could be considered as displaying a lack of integrity. Proverbs 20:7 states: “The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him!” Some may consider that by living a life based solely on time-related activities, they display righteousness. However, if it is not achieved in the correct context, then a feeling of moral superiority may develop. This could lead to a false belief that their actions or affiliations are of greater value than those of a normal person. We all have a God-given limited time span to reside here on Earth and it is wrong to consider oneself superior to another. In God's eyes, we are all equal.