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Pastor Craig Groeschel*, Senior Pastor of Life Church, Edmond, OK, tells a story about his personal struggle with apathy.  He describes his favorite Sunday afternoon ritual of sitting by the pool, resting and relaxing after the intensity of a Sunday morning.  On just such a day, as he was relaxing by the pool, he received a text from a friend telling him of the bombing of Christian churches in Egypt (which took place a number of years ago.)  He immediately sent a prayerful text to his church members, posted heart-felt prayers on social media and shook his head in sorrow at the violence of our world.  He then looked back at his book and “forgot about everything that had happened this fast” he said with a snap of his fingers.   

I immediately went back to my incredibly comfortable life in my nice, safe backyard enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon by the pool.  And some time went by before I realized that I had forgotten the tragedy – and I suddenly awoke out of my stupor and thought ‘what in the world is wrong with me.’  Why in the world can I not care and hurt about something for more than a few minutes before I drift back into my own comfortable, self-centered world. 

This is what Pastor Groeschel refers to as the “epidemic of apathy” – when we are so engrossed with our own ease that we rarely connect deeply with the needs of others or God’s call for us to respond to those needs.  We are lulled into inactivity, which allows evil to thrive in our world. 

Reflect

In what ways do you find yourself apathetic?  How does such apathy pull you away from fulfilling God’s purpose for which you were created? 

Study

Psalm 139:13-14 

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 

Pray

Let us pray: 

God of all creation, you knit us together in our mother’s womb – designing us for a purpose.  Stir in us your Holy Spirit, that we may be shaken out of our complacency to make a difference in our world.  We pray in the name of Jesus, whose sacrifice changed the course of history. 

Amen. 

Tomorrow, we will look at the first of Pastor Groeschel’s three steps towards overcoming apathy.  How can God’s Spirit stir in you during this Lenten journey? 

*Used by permission from Life Church.   

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Tags: apathy, devotions, fasting, Lent