Scrupulosity makes all churches "wrong"

[DruryGirl]

I stopped consistently attending church a couple years ago, mostly relating to my scrupulosity. In the past half a year or so, I have been trying to go, and have attended sporadically at various area churches.

I am trying so hard to find a local one, within a certain radius (I live in the middle of nowhere, and having to drive millions of miles is so frustrating, between gas prices and other obsessions related to my scrupulosity and gas mileage, etc. Another story.)

Every Saturday night it's the same thing. I stay up late obsessing over the phonebook and looking up churches on the Internet. There is no church I cannot find fault with.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean simply not "liking" the churches. Y'know, as in, "this one doesn't have good programs, this one I don't like that town," etc. No, I mean I will find some Scriptural point with each church, and then that church becomes "wrong" and false and I just can't go there.

I'm not trying to be stubborn and picky, this is really an OCD thing. The guilt and "wrongness" sets in and most the time, I wind up getting very angry and frustrated and finally I just refuse to go to church at all.

Does anyone else have this problem? Advice? Thanks.

 

[Jayangel81]

I cant say ive had obsessions about finding churches but once I enter it, at times it gets rough for me

Praying for you.

 

[babegirl111]

I will be praying for you to find the right church girl!! GOD BLESS!

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

There is no such thing as a perfect church, and I can say I know what you're going through...but keep praying and keep searching.

May God bless you.

 

[bydluv4Jesus]

Can really relate to it- what I did a few months ago was start listening online, to give myself a breather- and it has helped tremendously, (my favorite is Calvary Chapel of Hemet cchemet.org - just basic Bible study )to rediscover the love of Jesus and the Word, i really get caught up in doctrinal stuff- but i also know it won't be long term, because fellowship is important-

 

[DruryGirl]

All great advice, thanks very much!

 

[RachelZ]

Really sorry you're struggling with this...I don't think I've specifically or exactly had this one but can understand how your OCD could focus in on this. I know I can get very hung up on doctrine and what something really means and such.

One thing that may help is if you could find someone you trust who doesn't have OCD to help you make your decicision...they will more likely be able to see what are genuine points for concern and what are the things your scrupulosity is throwing up at you. Hope that doesn't constitute reasurrance but if so then I'm sorry.

Hope and pray you find a home church soon...take care, Rachel

 

[gracealone]

I stopped consistently attending church a couple years ago, mostly relating to my scrupulosity. In the past half a year or so, I have been trying to go, and have attended sporadically at various area churches.

I am trying so hard to find a local one, within a certain radius (I live in the middle of nowhere, and having to drive millions of miles is so frustrating, between gas prices and other obsessions related to my scrupulosity and gas mileage, etc. Another story.)

Every Saturday night it's the same thing. I stay up late obsessing over the phonebook and looking up churches on the Internet. There is no church I cannot find fault with.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean simply not "liking" the churches. Y'know, as in, "this one doesn't have good programs, this one I don't like that town," etc. No, I mean I will find some Scriptural point with each church, and then that church becomes "wrong" and false and I just can't go there.

I'm not trying to be stubborn and picky, this is really an OCD thing. The guilt and "wrongness" sets in and most the time, I wind up getting very angry and frustrated and finally I just refuse to go to church at all.

Does anyone else have this problem? Advice? Thanks.

HI Drury,
Sorry you're OCD has expanded into this area. But since it has you have to be ready to accept that there are no perfect churches. If there were than half of the new testament which corrects and admonishes the churches could have been left out. Now since you will be able to find a fault with every church you then must be willing to take the risk that it's OK for you to attend that church. The only way to get over the obsession is to attend a church, expect that your OCD will bug the daylights out of you while you are there, and don't let it win out by causing you to avoid the church. Christians which make up the physical church of Christ are in the process of being perfected - they won't reach perfection until they are home with the Lord.
If a church believes in the Biblical Truth concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ - His Birth, His Death, His Burial and His resurrection as the means by which people are saved that is enough to make it "safe" for you to attend.
Praying for you,
Mitzi