The Trap of Apathy

          Apathy {noun}:
          Lack of feeling or emotion.
          Lack of interest or concern.
          Impassiveness. Indifference.

     That's what apathy means, defined by Merriam-Webster. A lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern. You might feel apathetic towards certain things that make your friends passionate and invested in. When you feel apathetic, you often know you should care, but you just don't. It's a very common feeling, and one that leaves us with a sense of emptiness and annoyance.

     But as Christians, apathy means more than that. Apathy means that you have no will to read the Bible. Would rather take a nap then pray. Life is tolerable; you don't really feel like your spiritual life is necessary. Apathy towards God has plagued Christians since Christianity was formed, and often goes on for months, or even years.
    
     This summer and fall, I feel like I have been apathetic towards God. I know he's there, but my mind is so plagued with doubts,it's just easier to not care. Going through life, without getting anything out of it, is an easier route than stretching yourself spiritually, and becoming closer to God. It really is simpler. But then, I know I look back at the last few months, and realize that I will never get them back. There were probably hundreds of missed opprotunities to show the love of Jesus. Instead of using them, I just went day to day. I got up, went to school, did homework, hung out with friends, and did it all over again. In some ways, I was wasting my life. And the scary thing about being apathetic is the longer you stay that way, the harder it is to pull yourself out of it.

     "Going through the motions" and living a life of apathy is like another things that teenagers have issues with: staying up too late. :) We want to stay up just a little later, and then don't go to bed until  some unreasonable time. Then, we wake up the next day and regret it like nothing else. We complain about how we should've slept because now we're tired, and we swear to ourselves that we will never do it again.. And then, that night, it starts over again. We stay up late, regret it, and do it again. It's kind of similar to going a month without furthuring yourself spiritually at all. You do it, regret it, and do it again.

     So, make this week coming up not one of those weeks. Make it a week where you don't miss evangelizing opprotunities, and you don't miss the chance to come closer to your King. Because just like there is the scariness of apathy (longer you stay apathetic, the harder it is to change), there is also the beautifulness of caring. The longer you are passionate about Jesus, the easier it is to make it a lifestyle, not just a phase.
Grace