March Newsletter Article

Do you remember what life was like when you first became a Christian? If you are like most, it was a great experience of joy and peace in your life. You were excited about what God was going to do in your life. You looked forward to coming to church and being a part of the Bible study. Eventually the newness of being a Christian will fade, but that doesn’t mean that our joy and peace should. The problem is that many Christians have lost their excitement. They come to church week after week and sit on the pews with no emotion or concept of what it means to be conformed into the image of Christ. This is sin, and I like to call it apathy. If you look up the word, you will find that it means indifference.

I believe that we are all prone to some level of apathy in our spiritual life. Why, because Christianity is a marathon not a sprint. Christianity is a lifelong process of conformity to the image of Christ. Many times we start out at a sprint only to run out of gas. We then get discouraged and begin to question our spiritual condition, or we feel that nothing we do matters anyway, so we don’t try to serve the Lord.

How do we overcome a spirit of indifference? First, we must realize that Christianity is not a sprint. We must pace ourselves for the lifelong process of change and growth. Second, we need to learn endurance. The Bible speaks of perseverance on many occasions. God knows that life can be tough. That’s why He will one day do away with sin forever. Until that time, we must endure the difficulties of this life in a way that give God the glory and points others to Him. Third, we must realize that we are not alone in this life. God has given us the Holy Spirit to walk with us daily. Our endurance does not simply come from within us. Our endurance is built on a trust in God that He is with us every step of the way. Only then can we free ourselves to serve the Lord and live an exciting spiritual life.

One note before we close this discussion. Some may seem apathetic in church because they have never been touched by God. In other words, some may be indifferent because they are not part of the kingdom and have never been saved.

Let us shake off our tendency to be apathetic, and let’s serve the Lord with gladness!

Bro Anthony