Think on these Things: Following Philippians 4:8 Without Compulsions
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
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Rather than endeavoring to express our truest selves based on our own desires, we are called to live according to what God says is true about us, about our identities, about what is and is not to be pursued.
Last week I experienced a major health scare. I have made it my practice not to share specifics about this, not because I am against vulnerability or openness, but I don’t want to cause others anxiety. Having OCD myself, I know all too well the realization of, “I had no idea that particular medical event could happen…” and ensuing rumination. The good news is that I am well, that I have family and friends who prayed for me and supported me through one of the most frightening weeks of my life, and that I can confidently say I am on the other side of it, and operating at nearly 100% capacity.
While experiencing the turbulence of last week, I had more time than usual to catch up on political and cultural events, amongst them Chelsea Handler’s “Childless Woman'“ sketch, and Sam Smith’s hell-themed Grammy performance. Goodness, truth, and beauty are more difficult to find these days, since we live in a culture of self-worship, self-creation, and self-preservation. Orthodox, theologically sound Christianity runs so counter to this. Rather than endeavoring to express our truest selves based on our own desires, we are called to live according to what God says is true about us, about our identities, about what is and is not to be pursued. Philippians 4:8 says,
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
There is no other verse in the Bible that I talk about more in treating scrupulosity, or religious/moral OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). And it isn’t because I use the verse as an answer or cure to OCD; quite the opposite, actually. This verse is perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misapplied verses in scripture when it comes to those struggling with intrusive thoughts, urges, doubts, and/or images. Someone without OCD can read this verse and try to apply it, falling short and trying again (the typical human process), but they don’t have one major complicating factor: intrusive thoughts, urges, doubts, and images over which they have no control. Reading this verse as someone with OCD is quite different, and goes something like this:
“I want to think about these things, but I can’t. The more I try to replace my intrusive thoughts with things that meet the true/beautiful/good criteria, the worse it gets. The thoughts and images become even more intense. The more I try to do what this verse says to do, the less I am able to do it, the more frustrated I become, the more I am convinced that I am not even a believer because it shouldn’t be this difficult. I feel guilty, ashamed, and without direction.”
It can feel impossible to think on what is true, honorable, just, pure, and lovely when you have OCD. The good news is that it is not impossible, we just have to go about it differently: not with “thought stopping techniques” or developing new, holier compulsions like “every time I have that thought I say this verse,” but by letting go. The more valiantly you fight your intrusive thoughts with your own efforts, the more likely you are to lose the battle. Intrusive thoughts cannot be ousted by your effort or willpower. Although counterintuitive, trying to force out the intrusive thoughts is the surest way to get them to stay. The answer is in allowing the thoughts to be there or not be there. This is the point at which people may understandably become a little suspicious. They may question whether or not this signifies approval of the content of the intrusive thoughts, or a lack of care for what we allow into our minds, continuing to assert that fighting by trying harder is the only way. If you are in that camp, let me give you the following illustration to see if I can be a little more convincing.
Someone who is in over their head, literally and metaphorically, is trying really hard. They’re putting up a valiant effort. But their effort, rather than saving them, is actually accomplishing the opposite. In the same way, your mental efforts can work against you, giving credence to the saying, “work smarter, not harder.”
The more valiantly you fight your intrusive thoughts with your own efforts, the more likely you are to lose the battle. Intrusive thoughts cannot be ousted by your effort or willpower. Although counterintuitive, trying to force out the intrusive thoughts is the surest way to get them to stay.
Imagine that you are at the swimming pool or a busy lake on a hot summer day. It’s bright, loud, the lifeguards are attentively watching the crowd of people in the water, keyed in to possible signs of danger or distress. It’s a good thing they’re so attentive, because there is someone on the deep end who is clearly struggling. They’re in over their head, they can’t swim, and they start to panic. The lifeguard jumps in, ready to rescue them, but in their fear they begin to thrash their limbs every which way. Their fear prevents them from trusting the lifeguard, and this makes it difficult for the lifeguard to do the job they set out to do, which is getting this person to safety. This person who is in over their heads, literally and metaphorically, is trying really hard. They’re putting up a valiant effort. But their effort, rather than saving them, is actually accomplishing the opposite. In the same way, your mental efforts can work against you, giving credence to the saying, “work smarter, not harder.”
If we allow our intrusive thoughts to be there or not be there, we can simultaneously pursue what is true, beautiful, and good with our thoughts and behaviors. The key is to allow the intrusive thoughts and the intentional thoughts to coexist. We cannot control our intrusive thoughts. But we can decide to direct our attention to healthy, beautiful pursuits. It may look like deciding to read a book of poetry or going on a walk, knowing that you may have rapid fire intrusive thoughts while you go about these endeavors, but you have directed your attention to wholesome pursuits, and fundamentally Philippians 4:8 is about what we direct attention towards, not about intrusive thoughts over which we have no control.
