Neuroticism tends to correlate and even predict the development of anxiety and depressive disorders, so it’s easy for us to apply that to our Christianity.
I do, all the time.
But I read this beautiful passage from Paul today, in Colossians 1 (emphasis added).
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“Now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body.
As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.”
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There are two key phrases that could stumble a neurotic Christian: “you must” and “don’t drift.”
Scary.
But what’s the “you must”?
You must continue to believe that you’re holy before Christ because of him, not you. Oh, and if you didn’t get the message with “holy,” he adds “blameless” and “without a single fault.”
So the “you must” is beautiful.
It’s not “you must” continue to obey perfectly. It’s not “you must” do anything. It’s only “you must” believe, which is The Good News.
Now what about the “don’t drift.”
He doesn’t say, “Don’t drift from perfect obedience.”
He doesn’t say, “Don’t drift from examining your faith, every hour.”
He says, Don’t drift from the assurance that, in Christ, you’re holy, blameless, and without a single fault.
In other words, Christ did everything for you, and is everything for you, and you can relax.
It’s hard for me to believe in the Good News, but God wouldn’t call something “Good News” for humanity unless it were.
The wonder of the Good News is that we don’t have to wonder if we’re good enough.
We’re still neurotics, but Jesus is still Jesus. That’s what matters.
[Screencap: The Passion]
