This post is to be read in your best impersonation of a infomercial narrator.
Overactive Holy Spirit Syndrome or OHSS is the mental result of many Christians who grew up in legalistic environments. Some common side affects of OHSS are…
- Thinking that everyone is watching you.
- Acting better in public than you do in private.
- Pretending to be happy even when you are sad.
- Feeling the need to do good works to make it up to God.
- And over analyzing every move that you make in fear that you might tick off the Holy Spirit of God.
Tom has OHSS. When Tom goes to large grocery stores like Cosco to get free samples he thinks through every move. Tom really wants two samples. There isn’t a rule about taking more than one sample but because he judges everyone, he knows people will judge him. What does Tom do? He pretends to see his wife and says out loud, “honey, do you want a sample?” He then proceeds to eat two samples, but he doesn’t feel great about it.
Samantha has OHSS. When it’s Samantha’s turn to pray during a small group meeting she feels like it’s her job to make sure everyone knows about the sins of others. She can’t accept God’s grace and refuses to repent so in an attempt to make herself feel better she often prays for the sins of others. Sins like, “Julie is sleeping with her boyfriend. Please God forgive her for she knows what she does.”
You might have OHSS if you experience any of the following…
- Justification of your judgmental thoughts because you think it’s how God must feel.
- Boycotting certain shows because of their lifestyle but then over looking other shows that you really enjoy even though they feature people sleeping around and or committing other sins.
- The need to call other Christians out for their theological beliefs. If you are confident that your understanding of the Bible is the only understanding and it compels you to debate other Christians and put them down then you might have OHSS.
If you or someone you love might be suffering from OHSS than I have a solution for you. GRACE. Just one dose of the Grace of God and it will rock your world little country girl. In no time you will…
- Do the right things out of love instead of fear of being judged.
- Show compassion to those who struggle with sin.
- Speak the truth in love and not in condemnation.
But that’s not all. Not only do you get the Grace of God, but you get His eternal love.
How much would you pay for this Grace? $50? $100? More you say? Well for one amazing payment of Jesus’ life you can receive this Grace for free. That’s right. There is nothing you can do to earn God’s grace. You can’t argue with the results. Act now. The Holy Spirit is standing by.
The truth is that I’m not only a spokesperson for OHSS, I’m also a client. I’ve been legalistic multiple times in my life. Have you ever suffered from OHSS?
Too many times, Rob, too many times. And I will probably suffer from it again.
Larry, me too my friend…me too.
I’m not just a representative, I’m also a client! Ugh, I tend to get OHSS far too often. Still, very much, a work in progress. Happy new blog year to you my friend.
Thanks Daniel. Thank God for His Grace!
i am a recovering OHSS’er. Mine was doctrinal. Shameless plug here: On Wednesday’s in january and hopefully beyond, I plan to feature people who have come out of legalism of some kind. I plan to go first and tell my story. Love to have you over that way Rob to tell your story. In the meantime, I work hard not to relapse into OHSS by relying on grace. Thanks.
Bill, I look forward to seeing those posts!
There have been times I have been legalistic about things. Example would be talking about a show, and justifying watching another. Great points in this post. I will have to be more aware of legalistic tendencies. I believe legalism is a huge thorn in the side of Christianity and Society..case in point..lol.
Joseph, agreed. It makes Christians look bad and doesn’t represent our God well. There is a time to speak the truth but it should be in love.
I have been the victim of other people’s OHSS, having been brought up Brethren! But I know I have probably also been the perp!
From the commentor formaly known as T.C. http://talkingchristian.blogspot.com/2012/01/this-is-me.html
Naomi, it’s great to finally see the person behind the blog. Thanks for sharing.
Truth be told, this post made a lot more sense when read in that infomercial voice. LOL.
I also am a recovering OHSS. I hate it now… with a passion, but I have to remember that if Jesus ate with Pharisees at the table, we too have to be willing to “eat” with them.
Moe, solid point.
Not as much these days. Grace has taught me to rely on it’s sufficiency.
Matt, I hear ya. I praise God for His grace!
This is very good. I’m also a student but learning to apply grace 🙂
Cindy, it’s crazy to me how many people recovering from OHSS.
Put this up there as one of your greatest hits, Rob! I like it a lot. Very funny, and preaches big time- sign me up for a bottle of grace, please.
Thanks Steven! That means a lot. I was nervous about this post. I actually wrote last year. It’s been a draft for about a month.
Nervous? For reals? Hard to believe. This was top notch robshep.
Stephen, it’s true. It literally sat as a draft for a month. I finally just forced myself to finish it and publish it. I never know how things are going to be received.
Call now and get FREE SHIPPING! 1-800-GODSLUV.
Liked this post, especially when read in a cheesy announcer voice!
Thanks Randal. I always appreciate your comments.
Rob, boy did you hit the nail on the head. I think if everyone is honest we all suffer from OHSS. With God’s grace we all can be healed. Thanks for your blog, I really enjoy them daily.
Thanks Margaret! Thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment!
It’s a real shame that my OHSS doesn’t match my hairline…or is it a shame that my hairline doesn’t match my OHSS?
Ed, I can’t tell from your picture, but it looks like you have a lot of hair. I’m with you though. My hairline is shrinking fast.
Love it, I’m glad I read it with a cheesy announcer voice, this made my day, especially towards the end. I haven’t really had a problem with OHSS (but then again my memory is as flawed as I am … well, maybe it’s not “as” flawed.) The worst offense I can recall me doing with this is saying what the right thing to do is. I may not always do the right thing, but I can certainly help others to do it. Who knows, maybe they’ll return the favor.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not about saying a bad word, it is about a fixed, unrepentant course of ignoring what you know to be true about God and lying to yourself and others about God’s truth. Specifically it refers to ignoring and lying about the fact that Jesus was really sent by God & anointed by his Spirit as evidenced by his teaching and miracles.
Yes, I’m probably a victim of this on a weekly basis. There are a few things in my past that are hard to let go of, but I’m grateful for grace.
Also, you crack me up. If you’re ever in Seattle hit me up and I’ll buy you some coffee.
ThatGuyKC, done. I’d love to come to Seattle one day. I’ll hold you to that.