How can I overcome spiritual apathy?

Response

Spiritual indifference, coldness, or apathy can impact even the most genuine Christian at some point. Due to the unpredictable nature of human emotions, feelings of apathy or disinterest may sometimes take the place of the passion we once had for God. Overcoming such apathy is crucial for maintaining our relationship with God.

When someone recognizes their spiritual apathy, the first step is to ensure they are truly a follower of Jesus Christ (see 1 John 5:13; Romans 8:16). If they are certain of their faith in Christ, they should then ask themselves, “What led me to lose my love and zeal for the Lord?”

One reason for spiritual apathy is sin in the believer’s life. Like David, who felt distant from God after sinning “Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me.”, (Psalm 51:11). Upon confessing his sin, David prayed for God to “create in me a clean heart” (verse 10) and made this plea: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (verse 12). A believer experiencing spiritual apathy should confess any known sins and seek God’s forgiveness and renewal.

Another factor contributing to spiritual apathy is when empty religious practices replace genuine love for the Lord. A Christian should be characterized by their love for and obedience to Jesus “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”, (John 14:21). However, it is possible to obey without love, to hold onto the truth and serve God mechanically without heartfelt devotion.Loveless, lifeless fashion. Such mechanical service is not pleasing to God. This was the Lord’s condemnation of the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:4: “You have forsaken the love you had at first.” When Paul wrote to the same church around AD 60, he commended them for their love (Ephesians 1:15-16), but now, some thirty years later, they had left their first love. Their passion had waned. Why? Perhaps the Ephesians had begun to take for granted what they had in Christ. Living for Christ was no longer a daily adventure; it was becoming “boring,” and they were losing sight of their eternal purpose. The church at Ephesus knew the teachings of Christ, but they were not living in His power. In so doing, they lost their vibrant love and passion for Christ.

What’s the solution, then, for turning spiritual apathy into a renewed love and passion for Jesus Christ? The word to the spiritually apathetic Ephesian church was, “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” «Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. », (Revelation 2:4). The spiritually apathetic person needs to remember, repent, and renew.

First, the spiritually apathetic person needs to remember; that is, he should think back to the time when he sensed the warmth and closeness of Christ’s presence. He should realize that he can return to that state of fellowship. Then he needs to repent; that is, he needs to see his spiritual apathy as sin and confess that sin to God «If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. », (1 John 1:9). Finally, he needs to renew; that is, he must cultivate a renewed commitment to the Lord— not just serving the Lord, but keeping

Knowing Him, praising Him, and fellowshipping with Him are essential. If one has stopped, they should resume daily Bible reading and prayer. Allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower them will manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Additionally, they should engage with a Bible-believing local church “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”, (Hebrews 10:25).

Satan thrives on apathy. It is crucial to remain vigilant against temptations from the old nature, the world, and the evil one. We must always maintain the awareness that God is perpetually with us and within us. “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”, (2 Corinthians 4:7). By initiating worship and praise to the Lord and allowing Christ to govern our lives daily, we will rediscover a life of adventure brimming with joy and eternal purpose. We will ponder how we ever succumbed to spiritual apathy in the first place.