The Standard Of The Sleeve Series

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.