How do we walk

Apathy

I want to talk a bit today about apathy which has been one of my biggest struggles in life thus far. The word Apathy breaks down to these two words. 1. Laziness and 2. Indifference.

Definitions

Laziness “Laziness is defined as the lack of motivation to do something, despite having the ability to do it”

Indifference “the quality of not caring about or being interested in something or someone”

Apathy “apathy is a lack of goal-directed activity.”

Everyone talks about apathy, but no one does anything about it.

Unknown

I’m neither for nor against apathy.

Anonymous

No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Essayist)

James 4:17 “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Romans 12:9–13 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

Proverbs 15:19 “The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway.”

Mark 14:38–41 ““Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat.”

Proverbs 10:4–5 “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.”

Proverbs 24:30–34 “I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.”

Proverbs 21:25 “The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;”

The Garden

I want us to picture our lives as a garden. There are many seeds that get planted in us throughout life and what we choose to do with that seed will determin what grows inside of us.

Now think of a physical garden and the amount of work it takes to care for. Our hearts are no different expcept for the fact that planting a physical garden is a choice. Our lives produce things wether that is activley or passivley. In my opinion someone who was apathetic and caring for a garden may have some produce, but there will be weeds everywhere. The weeds will overtake and overshadow the good.

What is the answer

I think Thankfulness and humility.

Diligence is the answer. We know so much and we have to put what we know into practice. I’m sure I am not the only one who has sat in church and been convicted by the Holy Spirit and thinking to myself I am going to be such a changed person when I leave this building, by the time I get home from church I’m tired, exhausted and just want to sleep or indulge myself in some food and T.V. I have just become apathetic and I can no longer blame God or my circumstances for my heart condition, because I have let nature take its course which is the way of man. The default is death, Life is a choice. we have to be intentional about what we chose to do on a moment by moment basis.

Lamentations 3:39–40 “Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the Lord.”

What do I have to offer to those around me

Reflect on your own heart and take an inventory and see that what is in there is what you give other wether it was your intention or not, because we cannot give away what we do not have. Without the testimony of our lives lived all we really have to offer the world is another worldview, but we know Jesus is so much more than that so lets live like He is more than that.

What do you have in stock for people to recive from. What you have is what you can give away. I am not saying God can’t or won’t use you, but wouldn’t you rather position yourself to be used or just leave it up to chance.

Our Chirstianity must become more than just a system by which we make moral and ethical decisions. IT is that, but it is significantly more than that.

My challange to us

Going forward I encourage everyone to write down something from service every sunday that impacted you, wether it be what someone spoke or something you are sensing Holy Spirit do within you and do not let that thing go. If you don’t know how to impliment it into your life or whatevere the case may be, PRAY PRAY PRAY.

Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand.

Bodie Thoene

Tyler Stanton quotes:

“Distraction is fast food. It doesn’t nourish us, but it does work for deferring hunger.”

“Constantly overwhelmed lives should drive us to prayer at its purest and rawest, but the tendency for many of us is to pray safe, calculated prayers that insulate us from both disappointment and freedom.”

“Boredom is a sentiment of disconnectedness . . .To be bored, therefore, does not mean that we have nothing to do, but that we question the value of the things we are so busy doing. The great paradox of our time is that many of us are busy and bored at the same time . . . In short, while our lives are full, we feel unfulfilled.”