Apathy: A Church Killer
Revelation 3:15-3:17
Satan has a tool in his arsenal of weapons and he’s really been making good use of it here in America. The tool is the spirit of Apathy, and that’s the subject of this article.
Apathy is a bigger problem then people may think. The attitude that this doesn’t bother me is effecting our personal and spiritual lives. Unless a problem or situation directly involves us, we sit back and think, “That’s not my problem, I don't care."
The spirit of apathy has to be the most destructive thing I can think of when it comes to our daily lives. It causes us to be depressed,stunts our spiritual growth, and drains our energy. It is one of those things where if we are not careful it can completely take over our lives.
Apathy can affect all areas of a persons life, from the value placed on health, nutrition and exercise, to time spent with family, to cleanliness of the home, to the condition of ones financial state, to ones responsibility to their fellow man, the church and to God Himself.
The thing is, as human beings, we are created to care. Were created to care for the people in our lives, as well as all the things God has blessed us with. We are designed to be His caretakers. When we stop caring and become apathetic and indifferent, life loses its meaning and purpose. God hates indifference. In Revelation 3:15-17, we read, I know you well. You are neither hot nor cold; I wish you were one or the other! But since you are merely lukewarm, I will spit you out of My mouth! You say I am rich, with everything I want; I don’t need a thing! And you don’t realize that spiritually, you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
That Scripture describes more Christians today than you may realize. Many Christians, who call Him Lord, won’t get to heaven...some because of their apathy. (See Matthew 21-23). The statement, I am rich, with everything I need describes a happy American comfort zone. Just give me my remote control and bag of chips and don’t bother me - I don’t care!
No where is apathy more evident than in the American church today. Those who call themselves Christians can be the most difficult people in the world to motivate. Why is that?
While the other side was motivated to remove God from the classroom in the 1960s, legalize the killing of innocent unborn babies in the 1970s, normalize a homosexuality lifestyle in the 1980s, provide equal benefits for those who embrace that lifestyle in matrimony the 1990s, and attempt to ban the words Under God and have the Ten Commandments outlawed in 2003, Christians have been largely indifferent, unconcerned, apathetic. The problem is not that we are not caring people but the problem is that we are putting our energy in caring about the wrong things.
We are so caught up today in making money, our extra activities and whatever else there is, that we become apathetic towards the one person who gave us life, hope and a reason to live. We are so distracted by sports, and pleasing each other that we have forgotten whom we are to be pleasing.
Christians today are not stepping up and taking charge. Ministries in the church are dying because Christians will not commit to serving. People are dying and going to hell because Christians will not commit to sharing. Churches are dying because Christians will not commit to faithfully attending service. What is Christianity going to look like in 5 or 10 yrs. My fear is that the church as we now know it will be no more and it is because of us. The only ones that can destroy God’s church, is God’s people and that is exactly what we are doing.
So, the question is what are we going to do about this? Are we going to continue down a road that is inevitably going to lead to the churches demise? Or are we going to take a stand, serve the church, share with people and commit to faithfully attending churches services to assist us with our spiritual growth?
God has done so much for us and this is the way His people repay Him, with apathetic attitudes towards church, service and evangelism. God forbid that we continue down this road.
One day Jesus is coming back and we will be judged for the works we have done and for the works that we failed to do. What will the Lord say to you on that day? Will He say, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” or will He say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Let’s start a new era with the Christian faith. Let’s start becoming more involved, more committed, more flexible and more enthusiastic about our faith. May God bless you!