My Only HEALTHY Obsession

All people everywhere are bent towards being obsessed about something. Addiction is another word for obsession. Something that you absolutely without a doubt think about and contemplate more than anything else. In in our sinful fleshly state, we are always bent on, or towards things, activities, ideas that are good at the core, but have been distorted.
We as believers have lots of interests, and this is good! We are supposed to have passions, and use our God given passions towards bringing other up, encouraging others, and bringing God glory with how we do things well.
I think it's fair to say though, that leave it to this dark world to take any good thing, and through obsession, distort it, leaving only a mere resemblance or reflection of the good that once existed in it as it was enjoyed in it's normal, healthy state.
Sex is good right? Sex obsession, not good.
French fries are good. (yum) But french fry addiction, not good.
Having relief from pain is good. (medicine) And I personally thank the doctors who made it possible for me to be asleep during my c-sections so I didn't have to feel that pain, but addiction to pain medicine? Not good.
Football, sports. Concerts. Have you ever watched or been to a sporting even where people are crying when they see their hero? Or watch a popular singing show on today, where when the "mere mortals" get to meet their "idol," and how they weep at this interaction? I don't blame people, because I was that way once, but it does show our deep-rooted desire to worship, be obsessed and idolize people, things and everything in between.

You think of something?! Anything. Exercise, eating healthy, new shoes! Take anything on the surface and say, YES, this is good. But distort it through the lens of obsession? It becomes bad, and it causes pain to yourself and others.
I could go on but I do think I have made my point on the bad of the obsession, but what then is good you ask?
What can man enjoy to the max? Because lets face it, man was made to worship, worship and obsession are close cousins and really, I have a hard time seeing the difference sometimes. If we are obsessed with our self image, as a result, we do begin to worship ourselves. If we are overwhelmed with thoughts about our physical desires, (were all adults here) we create a passion, and lust for more of it, eventually turns to worship. And outside the bounds of marriage between man and woman, this of course is distorted too. (And I think even in some marriages where Christ is not the center, the physical aspect can be distorted as well)

I want you to hear me though when I say, there is ONE we can be positively affected by when we are obsessed with HIM. When Jesus is my magnificent obsession, my healthy addiction, my constantly worshiped person, only GOOD can come of it. The more I read HIS words, the more I am filled. The more I sing His praises, the more I am filled with joy. The more I gaze at this world through His eyes, the more I have compassion, the more I stare at Him instead of my circumstances, the more my life make sense. There is a picture I can stare at day in and day out and not have sinful desires arise, HIS. We can delight in the glory we bring Him, but as we stay in His will we will not LONG to have His glory be put on us because our greatest joy is to bring HIM glory.
All good things can be distorted, except the constant focus on Christ. It's hard to become prideful in the Christian world when you are focused on distracting the focus away from yourself to place it on Him. When we stare at our "earthly riches" through the glasses of HIS plan for us, the riches are blessings, but not our main focus. When we look at our bodies and either dislike or like what we see, we can take that to Father and ask Him to help us make sense of that. If we long to be healthier, we ask Him for strength to make good food choices, as we rejoice over healthy living regained, we can praise Him for what He did! As we enjoy a good physical life in a marriage, or even long to be married, we take those things to Him as well and thank Him for His perfect plan.
Of course, I realize, we are not perfect and we DO fall, and we do choose to gaze too long at the things we shouldn't, but the more we resist the devil by laying even our short comings at the foot of the cross, the less of a foothold the devil will have in our lives.
"we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.." Phil 4:13
The cool thing about (do people still say cool?) this is that when we begin to think this way, and live this way, with thoughts fixed on Jesus, is that what used to seem like a chore, (righteousness) begins to feel like home, and the things I used to hold so dear that were of this world, fade is comparison to the joy of walking with God.
I am not perfect. I am as wicked as all who were once lost in their sin. But by the grace of God that set me free I can live, covered by His forgiveness walking in His freedom, enjoying the joy of His leadership in my life each and every day. I keep praying to KNOW Him more. To understand the depths of goodness even more, and to constantly walk with Him.
I am jealous of His followers sometimes as they got to walk side by side with Him in visual reality. Or the woman who got to wash His feet. Or bring Him water at the well. I long for the day when I can see MY Jesus face to face. Yes, it's true. I'm obsessed with Him. But guess what?! It's OK! And beyond that, He wants us to be like this with Him. He wants us to chase hard after Him, to run faster after Him than we do for money, cars, love and good looks. He wants us to want Him more so He can fill us with things that will really satisfy, really last, and have eternal reward.
"Jesus Jesus, your the answer to all I'm searching for." -song
The best thing about this? Even death leads to better things, so the fear of death is out the window. Isn't that a relief. Talk about a major foothold of the enemy demolished. When we love Jesus more than life, nothing in the world, can steal our joy.
I pray my words encourage you friends, go ahead, drink deep in the love of Jesus, and don't hold back, because He didn't hold back for you. He went all in. All the way. And I pray I can go all in for HIM!