Scrupulosity - October 3, 2021

Scrupulosity is an issue that has long been present in those that are pursuing a life of holiness.  If you struggle with scrupulosity, you are not alone- many saints in history had the same struggle. 

In summary, scrupulosity is the intense fear of sin and an overly concerned focus on violations of religious or moral teaching, which can result in severe anxiety.  When we are scrupulous, we are so focused on the rules and laws of the church that we forget about the message of mercy that we learn about in the Gospel. 

The rules and laws of the church are good things and help us to avoid evil, but sometimes we become so hyper-focused on them that we are filled with shame and despair instead of hope and mercy.  A balance needs to be present between laws and mercy.  If you struggle with scrupulosity, I would like you to try the following exercise. 

When you have committed a sin, take a moment to imagine Christ sitting right next to you.  What is He saying to you?  What is His body language communicating to you? 

When we pray with our sin within the context of a one-on-one relationship with Christ, the way we view our sin changes.  C.S. Lewis said that some people are so concerned with learning about God that they never actually get to know God.  I think this applies to our faith when we become so concerned with laws and rules that we forget about a personal relationship with Christ. 

If during this exercise you do not hear words of mercy, encouragement, and forgiveness, I would encourage you to pray with Isaiah 30:18, Hebrews 4:16, or Matthew 9:13 to get to know Christ better.