Spiritual apathy, coldness, or indifference can affect even the most sincere Christian at one time in their life. Human emotions can be fickle at times. Feelings of apathy or disinterest can sometimes replace the fervor we once felt for the things of God. Overcoming such apathy is necessary for continuing our walk with God.
The one who realizes he is spiritually apathetic needs to, first of all, make sure he is a true believer in Jesus Christ. If he knows that he is a true believer in Christ, he needs to then ask himself this question: “What caused me to lose my love and passion for the Lord?” One cause of spiritual apathy is sin in the believer’s life.
When David sinned, he felt separated from God. As he confessed his sin to God, David prayed for God to “renew a steadfast spirit” within him and he had this request: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me”. A believer who feels spiritually apathetic should confess any known sin and ask for God’s cleansing and renewal.
Satan loves apathy. We must stay alert to the temptations of the old nature, the world, and the evil one. We must never lose the sense that God is always with us and in us. As we begin to worship and praise the Lord and let Christ control our lives each day, we will rediscover a life of adventure filled with joy and eternal purpose. We will wonder how we ever became spiritually apathetic in the first place. Spiritual apathy is a serious condition. How do you recognize and diagnose it before it’s too late? Below are the symptoms you need to know:
·
Decline in Attendance-When there is a slacking of church attendance, there is also
a slacking in hunger for the preached Word of God. Obviously, there are times
of the year when vacation or other factors play a part. When a decline becomes
the trend rather than an exception, there is cause for spiritual concern on the
part of a pastor.
·
Declining Concern for Missions-When a church becomes inward focused, they are no longer
concerned for the fields white unto harvest. They lose their sense of eternal
realties and of spiritual responsibility to reach the world with the gospel.
·
Failure to Invest in the Next Generation-When a church fails to see young men and women as their
future and fails to invest in their development, apathy is setting in. The
church may not continue in the next generation.
·
Indifference to the Needs of Others-Growing Christians are caring Christians. Scripture commands
us to bear one another’s burdens. When we don’t care enough to know what the
people around us are going through, we’re slipping into self-focused apathy for
sure.
·
Lack of Concern for the lost-When soul winning and outreach times are attended by fewer
and fewer people, there is a spiritual disconnect between what we say we
believe (that the Great Commission is our great priority) and how we behave
(that soul winning isn’t a priority).
·
Lack of Participation in Congregational Singing-The Bible commands us to make a joyful noise
unto the Lord. When Christians come to church with a heart of praise, the
opportunity to sing is welcome. When they come distracted and bored, their
singing reflects it.
·
No Pastoral Encouragement-The Bible commands
us to know those who labor among us and to remember them for their work’s sake.
Just as a maturing teenager or an adult will notice and be grateful for the
care and sacrifices of their parent, so growing Christians will give thanks for
spiritual pastors who serve them.
“The peril of this century is spiritual apathy. As the body requires sunlight, good food, proper exercise and rest, so the spirit of man requires the sunlight of the Holy Spirit; proper exercise of the spiritual functions; the avoiding of evils that affect spiritual health, that are more ravaging in their effects than typhoid fever, pneumonia, or other diseases that attack the body.” (David O. McKay) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“7 Early Warning Signs of
Spiritual Apathy” BY Dr.
Paul Chappell
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