Emotion word - Apathy
Webster
defines "apathy" as
- lack of emotion
- lack of interest; listless condition; indifference.
Some of the synonyms of the word are impassiveness, indifference, lethargy, unconcern.
What specifically can lead to apathy?
- Negative thoughts and feelings about oneself
- A major life events
- Stagnant boring routine
- Being overwhelmed or worn down
- Mental health disorder
(Let me just say here – that if you have a mental health disorder, you need to seek medical help and counselling)
Apathy is closely connected to an attitude which says, ‘It
doesn’t matter’ or, in the current day vernacular of dismissal – ‘whatever’. I
have been in this space a couple times in my journey. And in my case, it was due
to a major life event and feeling overwhelmed. I remember the days that I sat
at the edge of my bed asking God for the strength to step out of the bed, to
put one foot in front of the other. When I knelt in prayer, I felt distant from
God. Questions such as ‘Is God real’ ‘Does He care’ ‘Will anything ever change’
– went through my mind constantly. The advantage I had was that when I was
saved and filled with the Holy Spirit I learned to ‘hear God’ and allow the
Holy Spirit to speak into my soul. So when my faith and trust in God were
hanging by a thread and barely breathing, the Holy spirit – ‘The Helper’-
whispered in my heart and constantly pursued me, allowing my apathic self to
believe that when the odds are stacked against me – the battle belongs to the
Lord. That my struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers,
authorities, powers of this dark world, against spiritual forces of evil in
heavenly realms. And He empowered me to put on the armor of God to be able to
stand ground against them. I believed and grasped on to the Word. “The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated
before you. They will come at you in one direction but flee from you in seven”(
There is also a different sense of apathy. It happens when the understanding of the saving grace of God no longer excites you or ignite your soul in blissful wonder, rather it becomes an old tale – something you heard or knew before and doesn’t carry relevance in your current situation. The moment our salvation becomes ordinary, we open the door for something else to captivate our hearts. The root of such mindset could develop from a sense of hidden pride. As Christians, we do not like to acknowledge that we are prideful. But so many feelings and emotions have their root in pride. Somewhere along our journey with Jesus, we develop the sense that ‘we are ok’ without being solely and completely dependent on God. Our sense of comfort with life and living could lead us there. Romans 12:11 says – “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord”. God is not pleased with or tolerant of apathy. Neither should we be. The Word says, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:16). Apathy toward God or His promises and commandments is not an option. It represents a state of sin and of further temptation to more. What must we do to be saved from it? How do we pray when we’re feeling apathetic toward our faith? - As if our very souls depended upon it! My desire is that I will never lose the wonder of the presence of God, that I remain fascinated about His grace and mercy over my life and I don’t just believe God is real but I walk with Him daily so much so, my heartbeat will echo His!
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