I’m obsessed!

The lovely young woman behind the counter said she was obsessed. I asked, “You’re what…possessed?”

She said, “Oh, no, you know, obsessed, like, it’s just a totally awesome eye cream. Here, feel it…it’s like amaaaaazing! I’m obsessed! You’ve got to try it! You’ll be obsessed!

I think I need to go back to grade school and relearn the English language.

What’s your obsession?
Everybody’s obsessed with something or someone. It only takes about a 30 second scroll on Instagram to see an obsession of some kind pop up. #obsessed appears in over 11,306,000 posts. Fact-check it. So, what in the world are people obsessing over? Everything—

obsessed with the dog.
obsessed with this restaurant, this food…
obsessed with this song.
obsessed with the kids.
obsessed with this person.
obsessed with this drink.
obsessed with redoing the house.
obsessed with working out, playing pickleball, etc.
obsessed with this coffee (well, ok, maybe).
obsessed with these shoes, this bag, this dress…
obsessed with this… eye cream.

It’s concerning. We’ve not only beaten the word to death, but we’ve become what we’ve confessed: obsessed. (*I’m not talking about legitimate medical disorders.) We’ve become worldly-obsessed people living in a world of… obsessions.

Are you? See if the definition fits.

Obsessed (adjective) ob-sessed

  • Webster: preoccupied with or haunted by some idea, interest, etc.
  • Cambridge: unable to stop thinking about something; too interested in or worried about something.
  • Oxford: to preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

There’s really nothing wrong with the things on the list above. But why do we have to be obsessed with them? Whatever happened to just liking something a lot? And what are we really searching for in all these obsessions? What’s it saying about our heart? I have a pretty good idea. Because the heart of the matter is always a matter of the heart.

Give me one magnificent obsession!

When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment,” he replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” Matthew 22:37-38.

Think about this: loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind speaks to an all-consuming love—an obsession, if you will. God has commanded us to be fully consumed…obsessed with Him! Yet in no expression of, “I’m obsessed about…” have I heard anyone speak of their obsession with Christ Jesus. A dress, an eye cream…. But not Jesus.

It was probably about 23 years ago that I first heard the song, “One Pure and Holy Passion” (listen) written by Candi Pearson Shelton, performed at the very first Passion “One Day” Conference, in Memphis, TN, in 2000. These gorgeous lyrics profoundly impacted me and left an indelible mark on my heart.

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me on magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you…

I can’t even read those lyrics without crying. Give me one magnificent obsession…. that’s what my heart truly desires, and yet I find myself becoming distracted and, yes, obsessed, with many a lesser thing. Things that tarnish, and fade, and break down, and cannot in any way compare to the majesty of Christ.

I pray—

O, Lord, guard my heart and affections for you. Cause me to love you more than anything and anyone, and to desire nothing in heaven or on earth, as much or more than I desire you.

Truly Obsessed with One True Obsession

The apostle Paul was as obsessed as a person can be—with the right kind of obsession. He wrote passionately to the Philippian church—

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:8-11

You might say, well, that’s just Paul and he was a Bible guy, an evangelist… that was just part of his job description. No. Paul had a passionate pursuit—to know this God who had saved his murderous life, and then put him to work as a teller of the Truth of Jesus Christ, a church planter, and the most significant kingdom builder in all of Christendom. Paul’s heart-soul-mind obsession with Christ was fueled by a love that was bone deep for his Savior that had shown him crazy grace and immense mercy. His pure and holy passion, his magnificent obsession, and the glorious ambition of Paul’s life was Jesus. Jesus.

I want that. I’ve prayed that for two decades, and I continue to ask for it. Why not? It’s what God wants for me. It’s what He wants for you… to be your magnificent obsession and the glorious ambition of your life. So, ask Him for what He already wants for you. Pray for it, and never stop. Because there are so many other false gods vying for your attention, wooing you to obsess over them, and waiting to let you down.

If we’re going to be obsessed with anything or anyone—make it the only Worthy Obsession!

Something to Think About

We are mere mortals, God-wired with God-longing— a longing for what this world cannot give us. Obsession with worldly things is idolatry—a futile effort to make Eden on this earth with counterfeits of God’s glory. Worldly obsessions will never satisfy our hungry hearts. They cannot fill the space that has been hand crafted by your Creator to fit…to consume only Him. But we try… we keep on running hard after the puny and worthless obsessions of this earthly life, when the riches of God’s grace and mercy are ours in great abundance. As C. S. Lewis so aptly put—

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

One More Thing

I leave you with the words to another beautiful song, Magnificent Obsession, by Steven Curtis Chapman. I’m making it my prayer. Won’t you make it yours?

Capture my heart again
Take me to depths I’ve never been
Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy
Return me to the cross
And let me be completely lost
In the wonder of the love
That You’ve shown me
Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things
Let all my dreams fall to the ground
Until this one remains
You are everything I want
Lord You’re everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You
Jesus, be my magnificent obsession
My magnificent obsession

Until next week— don’t forget that you are greatly and dearly loved by The King! And let’s live our beautiful, ordinary lives like women who believe it!

I love you!
xo – P❤️