THE TROUBLE WITH APATHYOSTICS

This has all got to do with a recent conversation with a good friend of mine. My friend is a devout Christ Follower, as am I, and believes strongly in studying the truth of scripture and following its messages for right living as best he can. We are all sinners existing in a fallen world, and as believers in the doctrine of Jesus Christ we are outsiders, or “aliens to this world”, as Paul so often preached to new followers of the early church. It is therefore a difficult challenge for Believers who trust in the truth of the Word as delivered to us in the bible, to live our lives as we understand that Jesus did.
My friend often laments that he is baffled by the refusal of his brother to take this challenge more seriously in his life. I have asked if his brother goes to church, and been told that yes, he does and even sings in the choir. However, when asked about becoming baptized as an adult, or joining one of my friends bible study groups, his brother remains non-committed. “In fact, I know my brother never touches a bible or reads any of the devotional material that I leave for him to look at. It’s so strange to me because we were both raised with the same background, and beliefs”. My friend fears that his brother has any association with the church at all simply out of a desire to be singing in the choir.
“Well,” I query, “does your brother even believe in God? Just because he grew up going to church with the family and sitting in Sunday school classes, is no guarantee that he holds any firm beliefs in his heart, is it?”
“Oh yes, I’ve really no doubt of that”, returns my friend.
“Well if not Atheist, is he maybe Agnostic?”
“No, no. Nothing of that sort, I’m sure. What I do think”, replied my friend with a mischievous smile, “is that if anything, he may be what you might call an Apathyist”.
“A what”? I wasn’t at all sure what could possibly be meant by this unfamiliar class of believer!
“Yeah. I think he’s just lazy and refuses to put forth any effort for his beliefs. He’s apathetic about it all. He’s an Apathyist!”
LOL, as they say.
Of course Jesus was fully Man AND fully God and was without Sin, but with persistent effort we strive to do our best in living our lives as He did. And that is certainly the key – that we must accept the challenge and make the effort – it is most definitely not an easy thing to follow these teachings of our Lord Jesus in our day-to-day living. Keeping our focus on Christ, and by stubbornly honoring in our hearts the second great command to “Love your fellow man as yourself”, thereby giving real value to people, we can avoid being unwitting devotees to Apathyism of the soul.
KEEP YER' EYES ON THE HORIZON!