There are many different ways our mental health can be negatively impacted throughout our lives, whether they’re due to illnesses or specific circumstances. As someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD for short, I’ve had many difficulties in my day-to-day life, difficulties that have held me back and caused lots of worry for me. In this post, I’ll be sharing some of my experiences with OCD and how we can view mental illnesses through a Christian worldview.
What is OCD? OCD involves two distinct aspects: obsessions and compulsions, hence the name. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts or urges that come to someone’s mind repetitively, causing mental discomfort, such as fear and anxiety, to varying degrees of severity. Compulsions are actions that people with OCD give in to so that a given obsession is no longer a worry, such as counting to a certain number, going up and down the stairs more than needed, saying certain words out loud, and more. Regardless of whether associated compulsions are acted on or not, the presence of constant obsession in someone’s day-to-day life can be incredibly debilitating; not giving in to compulsions can cause lots of stress, whereas giving in to them can cause stress while performing each compulsion, sadness after performing them, and lots of time spent doing unneeded actions.
The thing is, OCD tends to affect people most in the areas relating to their core values and identities. As a Christian, the obsessions I face tend to relate to my Christian faith and the values I hold due to it. These obsessions are often illogical, but it feels as though my brain is often trying to trick me into thinking they all make sense and are all important to address, that acting on them by giving in to compulsions is important to my walk with God. My OCD has been a problem for me since before coming to faith in Christ, and while it hasn’t gone away since then, I recognize that I now have God by my side to help me as I struggle with it. I recognize that if God were to not heal me of my mental illness all the days of my earthly life, He would ultimately continue to use it for His glory. I recognize that if He were to never heal me of my mental illness, that doesn’t mean He loves me less. Ultimately, the solution for believers to their struggles with mental illness isn’t to expect a complete healing, but rather it is to trust in God and ask Him for help, ask Him for strength, wisdom, and whatever else is important to get through life despite the struggles because He is stronger than all of them. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus states the following: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Something we should not forget is that we can find reassurance in the fact that God uses evil for good. Evil people cried out for Jesus Christ to be crucified, but Jesus’ crucifixion is not something to be saddened about; rather, it’s something we can rejoice over! God using evil for good is a theme found throughout Scripture and a reality in our lives as Christians. While mental illnesses are difficult to deal with, God can and does, for instance, use Christians who have mental illnesses to reach and comfort unbelievers who share similar struggles, leading them to come to faith in Him!
Having OCD isn’t easy, as I’m sure is the case for people with other mental illnesses. Ultimately, it’s untrue that God will not allow us to deal with more than we can handle by ourselves. It’s through relying on God that we can get through all of our struggles, as otherwise, they can overwhelm us. As Jesus states in Matthew 7:24-27, the winds of life will not overwhelm us if our house is built on the rock, but they will if it is built on the sand. We ought to hear God’s words and do them if we wish to not be overwhelmed by the struggles we face in the world. As we face our trials and tribulations, we can always remember Jesus’ powerful words in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
