Do intrusive thoughts mean i’ve sinned?

How to understand unwanted thoughts, without misreading your heart.

5 Minute Read

Online, some top search queries regarding intrusive, unwanted thoughts can be:

“Is it a sin to have intrusive thoughts?”

“Blasphemous thoughts, am I sinning?”

“OCD thoughts sin Christianity”

These and many other questions surface.

And underneath these questions there is often a deeper fear: “Did I just sin?” or “Does this say something about me as a believer?”

Dirty, Bad, & Ugly Thoughts

These thoughts don’t feel neutral – they feel like they say something about you; and maybe they do, but we’ll get to that later.

They can feel:

• “Offensive”

• “Wrong”

• “Out of line with your beliefs”

• “Gross”

• “Twisted”

And because of that, they don’t just create anxiety––they create a real concern about your standing before God.

It’s not just about the thought.

It’s about what the thought might say about you.

Ashley’s Bad Thoughts

She had dealt with intrusive thoughts before, but for Ashley these crossed a new line.

She would be embarrassed and humiliated if anyone could see the reel of images and actions she had thought.

• “Why would that even come into my brain?”

• “Does that mean something about my heart?”

• “Would someone who really believes Jesus really think like that?”

And once those questions started, the weight of the thoughts grew more and more each time.

Thinking ≠ Choosing

Not every thought reflects your desires.

Not every thought reflects your intentions.

Not every thought reflects your heart.

Understand, some thoughts arrive, without an invitation, and without agreement.

And sometimes those thoughts are very hard to get beyond.

Feeling Guilty & Ashamed

Ashley was really, really frustrated.

Not just at the thoughts, but at herself.

And she was embarrassed to share her thoughts:

• “It’s just so bizarre.”

• “This is going to sound crazy.”

• “This is going to be the weirdest, strangest thing anyone has ever told you.”

Eventually, she would share her thought with me.

She felt unique in this suffering.

I wish she could understand how non-unique her thoughts really were.

Regardless, the sharing was usually followed by: “Why did I have that thought?”

Thoughts like those and others can be very disorienting.

Ashley began to guess at the answer: “If it’s in my brain, they must be mine.”

She felt so guilty, and would barely give any more detail.

This is how many feel when they describe their own thoughts and situations.

Is Ashley Broken?

Yes, but not in the way she and you may think.

And that is good news for Ashley.

From a biblical view, it is not just Ashley that is broken.

We all are.

God’s view is that we are all fractured in our humanity. (Romans 3:23)

Ever since the events in Genesis 3 with Adam and Eve rejecting God’s way, things have been badly broken, for all of us.

Earlier, we gave the question that many ask, “Does this say something about me?”

Yes.

The biblical view is that we suffer on earth not just from our own mistakes and sins and actions but also as a result of the brokeness of everything as a whole.

In other words, the world doesn’t function the way that it was designed to.

Things are busted.

Diseases and health issues are everywhere.

Your mind and body aren’t immune from that reality.

This is actually hopeful news for Ashley.

Difference Between Cause & Effect

The existence of a thought, doesnt automatically mean something like: “I must want to have these thoughts.”

The truth is often more a result of various factors, some known and unknown.

Everyone to some degree has some form of unwanted thoughts.

Is the reason Ashley is having these thoughts a result of her unique brokeness?

Maybe.

But doesn’t everyone have unwanted, intrusive thoughts.

Yes.

So maybe, these thoughts are a general reality of living in a broken world.

And really, Ashley is struggling with these thoughts sticking, not because she’s extra broken.

But because she recognizes these thoughts as bad, and it goes against everything she believes she is.

The discomfort, resistance, and desire for it not to be there also says something too.

That is something significant to always keep in your mind.

The Real Test

The fact they are so disturbing is actually evidence that these thoughts aren’t who she really is or was designed to be.

Her discomfort shows not that she loves evil, but that she detests it and sometimes even does some odd or silly things to try to rid herself of that evil.

Hope For Today

She in response gives them way to much thought and reflection.

Yes the thoughts are as bad as she thinks they are.

But that does not mean she has to live there.

There is a difference between something being thought, and something being acted on.

Ashley has a choice regarding these thoughts.

But the choice is not whether to have them or not have them.

No.

The choice is how she responds to the thoughts.

When she tries real hard to diagnose meaning.

Or to discover their source.

She spirals out.

Intrusive thoughts often attach themselves to things that matter to you deeply.

• Your faith

• Your values

• Your beliefs

That makes you give them a lot more weight then they deserve.

Ashley felt like the Bible called her to renew her mind and set aside evil things.

But the way to renewal and good is not done by dwelling on how much you wish the thoughts would go away.

Ashley had to learn to allow the thoughts she didn’t like to be there.

To be there, and not engage with them.

This Might Seem Counterintuitive to Faith

She tried everything to rid herself of these thoughts.

• She threw Bible verses at them.

• She devoted hours to praying the thoughts away.

• She tried to think a “good thought” every time a thought arrived.

But this was not the answer because this is not what faith required her to do.

What she was doing was actually not helpful at all.

Because she was actually giving attention to something that should not receive any.

Faith in this situation is saying:

• “This is just a result of living in a broken world.”

• This thought will not get a response out of me today.

• I will read the Bible and pray everyday and reflect on truth. But, to know Jesus better, not as a magic wand.

Faith looks like moving forward, trusting in the gracious redeeming love of Christ even when everything is thrown at you.

Even when circumstances aren’t what you hoped for.

Even if the thoughts never go away.

That really is the truth to reflect on. EVEN IF.

• Even if these thoughts arrive, my goodness isn’t found in them being there or not being there.

• Even if they say something about me, they don’t get to write the whole story.

• Even if they want attention. I will focus on my responsibilities of the day and live for God.

So, do intrusive thoughts mean you’ve sinned?

I would say no.

But they are a sign of the brokenness, that one day Christ will heal.

And you don’t have to stay stuck, in the here and now.

There is a different way to respond to these thoughts.

If you’ve been carrying fear about what these thoughts mean, you are not alone.

If you’d like to keep reading, you can find more here → Articles

And if talking it through would help you, your always welcome to reach out and schedule a one-on-one meeting to walk through this together.