Around here, I’m all about helping people get unstuck. It is a joy to elevate voices of hope. Today’s guest article is by my friend and the author, Kathrine Snyder, who also wrote a book (see at the end). She’s one of the many courageous voices that have impacted my own journey. If you’re looking for more stories, examples, and ways to connect to get out of isolation, I hope you will consider my course, Christians, Overcome Your OCD.

Courageous Callings and OCD

by Kathrine Snyder

Have you ever felt God calling you to something big? Something that stretched your faith, spurred your passion, and ignited your wonder?

You started moving toward God’s will.

But then you started to doubt.

Perhaps someone told you that you weren’t doing it quite right. Perhaps your own mind started whispering, “Are you sure God told you to do this?” Or perhaps your OCD said you’re not clean enough, not perfect enough, or not pure enough. How can you imagine you’re serving God when that bad word keeps coming through your mind? Or when you don’t feel that elusive “peace” everyone talks about?

When these voices start speaking to you, how can you be sure of God’s will?

I can relate to this dilemma. Let me share two examples.

A few years ago, I spent a lot of time with a young person who was struggling emotionally. I tried to encourage her the best I knew how, but her life continued to unravel. When all was said and done, everyone looked for someone to blame. Some people accused me of doing too little to help her… yet others accused me of doing too much for her!

How could I be sure what was true? How could I know if I had pleased the Lord?

Another example was last year when I published my memoir on OCD and faith, Shimmering Around the Edges. I poured my heart, my passion, and my wonder into that project. And it paid off: I received glowing praise from many therapists, authors, and OCD specialists. I heard stories from Syria, Finland, and England of people being impacted by my story. I received a Gold Medal from the Illumination Literary Award.

But I still doubted.

OCD told me I couldn’t be sure. How could I know which voices to listen to?

Even though some people told me my story touched them deeply in places they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel for a long time…a few said it was too vivid and painful.

Even though some said it was the best description of OCD they’d ever read… one person complained that my book barely mentioned OCD.

Some readers said my book talked too much about healing prayer… yet others said it talked too little about healing prayer.

How could I be sure?

Did God really want me to write this book?

Did I make a huge mistake?

When these questions were swirling in my mind, I knew it was time to remind myself of the very lessons and insights I share in my book.

There are some things we don’t need to know. 

Humans have been tempted to grasp at knowledge since the beginning of time. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose between knowing good and evil and knowing God. They chose to grasp the fruit from the forbidden tree so they could know for sure what was right and what was wrong. But in the process, they ignored the Friend who was walking among the trees of the garden, waiting for a relationship.

The same choice is ours today. It’s not that we can’t know what is right and wrong. God has revealed good and evil in his word. But those of us with OCD can take this pursuit to an unhealthy extreme. We often stand in front of our own Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and demand that God tell us whether we are on the right path.

• Did I say the right thing to my wayward child?
• Did I make a mistake with that email I sent?
• Did I really feel attraction to someone I can’t marry?
• Am I going to hell because I thought about a bad word?
• Was it wrong to help the homeless person since it’s against the city law?
• Was it wrong to drive past the homeless person?
• Is it okay to share my authentic self, even if it makes some people mad?

Like any OCD questions, these concerns can cause our minds to loop endlessly, despite every reassurance to the contrary.

That’s when we must remember an important truth: God says there are some things that are not for us to know, at least not right now (John 13:7).

One example is in Acts 1:7: “‘Times and seasons are in the Father’s hands,’ he said. ‘These things are not for you to know. Instead, set your hearts and minds on the Holy Spirit.’” FNV

Just like we do not fully know God’s timing, we do not fully know our own motives. And we cannot fully know or evaluate our actions until heaven (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).

This isn’t an invitation to panic about the endless uncertainty. It’s an invitation to rest.

Take a few minutes to ask yourself: “Where have I demanded to know good and evil rather than focusing on knowing Jesus? Where am I staring at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil instead of walking with God in the garden? What’s on that tree for me right now?”

Whatever it is, let it go into the Father’s hands. Trust that He knows. And he holds you. Then set your mind on the Holy Spirit and watch him set you free.

You can purchase Kathrine’s recent book on Amazon now [contains affiliate link]: