Are You Stuck?

I was listening to an interview (Off Camera with Sam Jones) with the actor Jon Hamm.  One thing I have noticed about most of the interviews I have heard with actors is that they seem to be very introspective.

It is a unique, good quality, I think, but sometimes I have a difficult time following them because they seem to be talking in circles.  What I think is really happening is that they are trying to discuss their experience of becoming an actor and it doesn’t make sense to my layman’s ears because I am outside “the business.”

I have found, though, that the actors/actresses that are able to articulate their experience clearly, are usually really interesting.  They offer a little insight into the challenges they face now, and the challenges they had to overcome getting to the top of their industry.

But their stories of how they just made it within a few weeks or months of giving up are inspiring.  And once in awhile, they will say something pithy that catches my attention.

Take Jon Hamm, for instance. He used the phrase “paralysis by analysis” which I thought was great!  Not only does it rhyme, it has deep meaning.

For anyone who has a tendency to go over and over the details of something until they have exhausted all possibilities of change or correction, this phrase fits perfectly.  I think this sort of process often ends in indecision because it is based on fear of error. We can become so obsessed about getting things right that we just get completely stuck.

I think this can happen on one’s spiritual journey as well.  Being soooo afraid that we are going to sin or offend God, we move from a reasonable approach to these challenges, to scrupulosity. 

If you find yourself over-analyzing everything you do to the point that you cannot make a decision, you might want to keep this in mind.  It comes from the First Letter of John, Chapter 4, Verse 18:

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” 

The heart of this passage is not to instill further fear in us about an inability to love perfectly (!!), but about trusting in God, who is love, and having confidence ”on the day of judgment.”

You see, if we believe in a merciful God (and we do!) we trust that our efforts will be accepted by him.  Listen to the words Paul wrote to the people in Rome, not quite 30 years after Jesus died.  This comes from Romans, Chapter 8, right at the beginning of the chapter:

“Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.  For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son . . .”

Because Jesus came, in the flesh, to save us from sin, we understand that by giving our best efforts, and staying “in Christ Jesus” we, too, will not be condemned in the end.  But take note: we do have to make an effort.  We cannot simply sit back with our arms folded and say, “I’m with Jesus so I’m good.”

But truthfully, we cannot be flawless in our attempt to avoid sin, because of our inclination to sin which we inherited from our first parents—but that doesn’t mean we don’t try to avoid it whenever possible.

The catch, of course, is that being so scrupulous in analyzing our words and actions can itself lead to sin, where, out of fear, we lose our trust in the loving mercy of God.

If scrupulosity is a problem for you, you might want to look into it further.  Here is a website that has some helpful information. 

In any case, it is good to find a healthy approach to dealing with scrupulosity so that your problem does not become “paralysis by analysis.” 

Janet Cassidy

Janetcassidy.com