OCD is destroying my faith... HELP!

[TheWorriedOne]

Alright well for about the past month I've been doubting the existence of God and these doubts have been making me think how could God be real? I'm so exhausted I'm constantly praying and doing any other thing I can to make these doubts go away. This needs to be over now! I just don't understand I've always been a strong Christian but there's times where I don't even know if I believe anymore "Like right now." and I can't stand it I want to believe and I don't even know if I still do. God has always been my Bestfriend. Why is he so distant now? Why is he letting these lies be placed in my mind which hurts my faith in him? I just want this to stop. People say to pray and trust Jesus and I'm trying I just want this to be over because these doubts make everything seem like an eternity. Have any of you all experienced this? How long did it last? I'm so scared I may become an Atheist...

 

[tripletiger1200]

God will bring you through this because He wants you to believe. I don't know why people get this disease, but I do know that when all is said and done God will have used this to grow you and strengthen your dependence on Him. Don't lose hope yet, you'll make ti

 

[Anonymous User_]

Friend,

Fear not!

I know EXACTLY what you're going through! I suffer from OCD and have had ten billion and one doubts about the existence of Christ and God; doubts that have sent me into deep depression and given me feelings of hopelessness and segregation. I have good news for you, though. I have learned from other experienced Christians in my life that faith is NOT about being convinced in your mind that something is true, but rather CHOOSING to hold it as true despite whatever you think or feel. Faith is a CHOICE, a choice that no one, not even your doubting OCD mind can take away from you. As long as you continue to hold this trust in God, no matter how unrealistic He may seem to you, you are saved. I highly encourage you to read 'The Case For Faith' by Lee Strobel, particularly the next to last chapter, which deals with the existence of doubt in a Christian's life. Also read a book called 'Can Christianity Cure Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?' by Ian Osborn, which shows how other Christians like you, including Martin Luther, Paul Bunyan, and Saint Terese overcame obsessive compulsive disorder regarding their faith and salvation and ultimately used it as a part of their ministry.

Everyone has doubts, and doubts of salvation is very typical for OCD Christians. It's hard not to have the feeling of satisfaction in Christ, but salvation is not about feelings or being mentally convinced. The word 'believe' in the Bible is translated (can't quite remember whether it's Greek or Hebrew) 'to lean on'. Therefore belief is an ACTION of faith, not a FEELING. You CHOOSE to lean on Christ's promise, even when it seems like a fantasy. even though it seems like these doubts are hurting your relationship with God and are a testimony to you being a bad Christian, in the end, I KNOW it is God's will for your faith to be strengthened through these doubts and the outcome to bring glory to Him. (Just the other day I was afraid of a doubt I had and frantically looked up an apologetic answer to it. because of the answer I received on this doubt, when and atheist friend the next day THE SAME QUESTION, I was able to take that new information I had gained and witness to her!!) As long as you trust that there is simply a bigger picture of God that you cannot see at the moment and that no matter how you FEEL or how things SEEM that Christ is real and you trust him as your savior, you are just as saved as you were when you were on your highest emotional mountain top, no more or less saved than Billy Graham or Mother Therese.

Your doubts, because you have OCD, will by no means go away and possibly not even lessen as your decision of faith continues. A minute after you read this post and (hopefully) feel relief, you could be bombarded with a nice, painful doubt. That doesn't change your status of salvation one bit! It is through faith you are saved, and doubt is the very essence of faith, not the lack of it!

God bless and a merry Christmas!

 

[TheWorriedOne]

I hope I have fears thinking what if these doubts last my whole life and I die not knowing what I believed I fear God would send me to Hell.

 

[TheWorriedOne]

How do I know this is OCD doubt and not real doubt?

 

[raven1]

Sorry you are going through this. I will pray for. I am right where u are.

 

[TheWorriedOne]

Thank you Raven I feel so lonely because I have moments where I feel close to God then I have moments where I feel like the whole concept of God is I hate to say this but stupid and impossible I really need some insight on this...

 

[Anonymous User_]

Dear friend,

These doubts very well may last all your life, unfortunately. And there is no SPIRITUAL difference between OCD doubts and non-OCD doubts. Both doubts are involuntary. No believer WANTS to feel like God isn't real, but since we are intelligent beings who understand things at a higher level and feel the need to have things proven to us, we will always have some doubts of God because He doesn't choose to reveal all of Himself to us and there are a lot of smart deceivers out there who can make a lie seem like a logical reality. It is NO fault of ours that we have these doubts, and with OCD our doubts are even harder to overcome and more irrational, as well as more convincing and frequent. The answer is the same for both non-OCD sufferers and OCD sufferers: CHOOSE to trust Christ as your savior, no matter your doubts.

Here's a metaphor I've shown to Raven before: Let's say there is a rickety rope bridge over a cavern that you have to cross. You have all kinds of doubts, of course, that it won't support you. It doesn't look very safe. But your guide has worked the trail for decades and always crosses the bridge, and promises that it is frequently inspected. Will you still have doubts? Of course! What if the inspectors missed a spot? What if this man is overly sure of himself or possibly lying to you for some reason? But despite these doubts, it is when you take that 'leap of FAITH' and take a step onto the bridge that you believe. Do you still have doubts? Of course! Probably all the way till your last step on the other side? But you made a DECISION of FAITH to walk onto the bridge. It is the same with Christ. You must trust to confess Him as savior and put your trust in him, no matter what you feel is real.

 

[TheWorriedOne]

So if I try to believe in God even though sometimes it feels like I don't he'll still save me?

 

[Anonymous User_]

Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely! All you have to do is CHOOSE to trust Him! No feelings involved whatsoever!

Read that next to last chapter of 'The Case for Faith.' It elaborates on this, including Biblical proof that faith is an action, not a feeling!

 

[TheWorriedOne]

Ok Thank you! But I have a hypothetical question I would like to ask what if someone was an Atheist all their life and in their dying moments they thought, "What if there is a hell!?!?" And they were sorry for what they'd done and they wanted to believe in God but didn't really believe at the same time. You know what I mean? Would they be saved?

 

[Anonymous User_]

Dear friend,

I struggle with this question all the time in different scenarios, "Would they be saved?" I kind of like to think that deep down God knows how you will ultimately respond to Jesus, so, if in that one second their heart changes to make the choice of surrender to Christ, whether words are spoken or not, they will be saved. It is Jesus' sacrifice that redeems us. Maybe God presents the Gospel to people inbetween death and judgement so that they may make a decision on it, perhaps if they had not heard it at all or had it represented incorrectly? Who knows? All we know is that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus, and to deny Jesus is to deny the Father who sent Him (John 14: 1 - 14), (John 5: 23). God is fair and just and wants His children to go to Heaven, so He will give them every opportunity to turn to Jesus. C.S. Lewis describes Hell not merely as some place that we have the misfortune to be banished to, but rather a place we CHOOSE, because ultimately Hell is a place without God's presence, so those who decide not to trust in Christ, for whatever reason, end up with exactly what they ask for. It just might not be as wonderful as they expected - in fact, it might be, and I believe is, a living nightmare! None of us, myself included, KNOW how God works in all ways and what Hell is like. Just expand your thinking and trust God to do what is right with others. What is most important is what YOU believe and if YOU trust Christ as your savior.

 

[TheWorriedOne]

So God won't hold my doubt and feelings of unbelief if I want to believe?

 

[Anonymous User_]

Nope! Just CHOOSE to trust Christ. That's all you have to do! You are not faulted for anything you feel. What matters is what you CHOOSE. That's why there's that Bible verse in which the man says to Jesus, "I want to believe, but would you help my unbelief?" Doubt is not the lack of faith - it is the very essence of it! Trust in Christ despite whatever you feel or seems logical or real in your mind, and you are saved!

 

[musicoceanview34]

Father God Please lead my brother to his healing give him peace let him get closer to u now tht he feels far away. Let him get in ur word & know u let ur word be his strength in Jesus Christ Name. I had a temper problem my testomony is kinda long i felt hopeless like i was loosing my temper every breath i took. i finally asked god to lead me to my healing . Do wht u want with me but i need to represent u with excellency ur my father im asking u for a good thing not a bad thing. Long story short. God answered my prayer. My friend asked to go to a bible study they prayed for me i felt something comin out of me i kept prayin i recieve my healing in the name of jesus christ. I dont loose my temper i actually was in shock @ 1st when people would get mad @ me expected me to loose my temper. I actually had a supernatural power to humble myself & say im sorry if i said anything to hurt u. People were surprised. i know is not the same thing but believe me when i say i would loose my temper every breath before. i was exhuasted to. After people prayed for me i got more in gods word And i got pluged in to christian radio stations like 105.7 houston fm. just listen to more bible studies and oneplace.com. U need to put good things in ur mind. i did tht instead of just regular radio & tv.
tht helped me alot i still go to my bible studied i hang on to gods word. In the begining was the word & the word was with God & the word was God John 1:1 And the word became flesh & dwell among us John 1;14 Also Mathew 4;4 it is written not only shall a man live by bread alone but by every word tht comes out of Gods mouth. Dont let the enemy confuse u.
look up charles stanley adrian rodgers chuch swindoll tony evens and get filled with gods word. @ oneplace.com. God bless u & may god touch ur heart to feel gods peace. & may god fill u strength. & lead u to ur healing in Jesus Christ name god bless u.

 

[kerrysue]

Hi I just wrote a long reply to sdb39 on here that I also would like to send to you but don't know how to post it so you all can see Hope what I went through helps you all and thank you for being so honest on here as it really helps the rest of us to hear from each other. Praying you have a wonderful Christmas and that Christ will help each of us to understand and see His awesome love and grace.

 

[TheWorriedOne]

Hey guys well these past few days have been somewhat better I still have doubts I don't think as mug though and when I do get them I just dismiss them I've been trying to kind of take my mind off of God to make these thoughts strop and it seems to help but here tonight I feel extremely distant firm God I've been having a few doubts today and when I got them they were pretty strong. I'm going to pray but what do you guys think it's my OCD isn't it I'm not falling away am I?

 

[TheWorriedOne]

*I don't think as much about God. Is what that mug thing is supposed to be I dunno why it says mug.

 

[musicoceanview34]

Yes Pray to God to give u the peace u need & stay in Gods word. Stay pluged in christian radio stations 150.7fm houston online has alot of great bible studies
oneplace.com choose ur favorite pastor. Get the word of god in u so when this thoughts come ur strong in the Lord. & can count it all joy like in the first chapter of james says counted all joy. God Bless You u can get thru this May u see Gods healing upon ur life in Jesus Christ Name

 

[TheWorriedOne]

Thank you!!!! So you think it's just OCD and not me falling away?