"Death By Obsession"

Scripture: Genesis 30:1 and Genesis 35:18 

In Genesis 30:1, Rachel tells her husband Jacob to give her a child "or else I die."  Her sister Leah was able to have children and Rachel was so envious until she felt that if she did not have a child she would literally die.  In Genesis 35:18, Rachel gives birth to a son and in the process of delivery, she dies.  The very thing that she thought that she could not live without, she dies while it is being delivered.  Rachel is an example of a person whose death certificate should read "cause of death, ' obsession'."

Obsession is merely the idea that "stuff" can make the person happy.  Whether "stuff" is money, better job, getting married, getting divorced, having children, being promoted, getting a new car, etc.  What starts as a small tumor called "desire" spreads to stage 4 cancer called, "obsession."   

We sometimes confuse obsession with passion.  Obsession is passion gone wild. Obsession is passion out of control and it is never satisfied.  Rachel had a child (Joseph) prior to having this child (Benjamin).  Joseph was the answer to her prayer but when we are obsessed, we want more and more. In fact, the name Joseph means "give me another." When we think we cannot live without a particular thing, once we get it we start to feel like we cannot live without more of it.

Rachel did not die from the pains of delivering the child. She died from the debilitating effect of obsession.  By the time she got what she wanted, obsession, like cancer, had spread and made her too weak to go on. The thing that we are obsessed with takes our life. It's too late for Rachel but it's not too late for you. You must make the decision today to take your life back by breaking the chains of obsession. The only thing in life that you cannot live without is a relationship with Jesus Christ.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33).