Apathy

Consider this quote-

"It is astonishing that 90% of the world's problems result from people failing to keep their commitments."  

Think about it.  Heads of state, CEO's, family members, and friends--every missed goal or uncompleted task can be traced back to someone not keeping their end of the bargain.  Not following through.  We see this in government all the time.  Problems get brushed aside, or extended another 6 months until we're finally dealing with the same problem because our only answer was procrastination.  I truly believe that procrastination is the slow death of our country.  And why are so many people in leadership positions procrastinators?  There's always an excuse isn't there?  

What about in our walk with Christ?  Procrastinate much?  What about that friend you're going to talk to about Christ?  What about that need you saw that you could meet?  How's your worship?  Your Bible study?  

When our worship is half-hearted, there's a good chance our commitment is half-hearted as well.  But--that's only part of the problem.  I think the biggest problem is that we often don't care.  One week we may feel like we are going through the motions, the next much of the same, and before we know it apathy has set in and unfortunately it becomes a new normal.  

Ever been there?  

I have.  

My family has.  

And I'm happy to say that through a very long, painful and heartbreaking road God has restored our passion for Him.  

Last summer I found myself studying a book in the Bible that I often skipped over.  Malachi.  I was teaching adult Sunday school at that time, and this was where we landed.  If you've not read the book of Malachi, I highly recommend you read the entire book.  It's amazing.  

Keep in mind when you read it that after the Book of Malachi there is silence for 400 years plus in redemptive history.  These words echo throughout that time of silence from God.  And some of them are very harsh words.  

Malachi was God's messenger, and he called his message an oracle.  This was an urgent word of the Lord to Israel, the Lord's covenant people.  

About a century earlier, Babylonian captivity had ended, and the Jews were permitted to return home.  They resettled and eventually rebuilt the temple.  

We don't know for certain when the Book of Malachi was written, but the temple had been rebuilt long enough for the people's excitement to have faded.  The people had expectations.  They thought that now they would live under God's blessings.  But times were tough.  Crops were not good, things were not good financially, and the people began to question God's love for them.  Their doubt resulted in an apathetic approach towards worship.  

You see the priests at that time were breaking their commitment to honor God's name.  They were doing things half way....and they didn't seem to care.  They were going through all the motions.  They showed up to serve at the temple.  They kept the lamps lit, they tended the altar fires, repeated the prayers, they made the sacrifices.  The Lord quickly replied that they despised Him by presenting defiled food on His altar.  If offerings were defiled, they were unclean, impure, and imperfect.  

Malachi was speaking to the priests.  These were people engrossed in worship.  They were so engrossed in their religion and their religious activity they didn't even realize they were defiling God's name.  

Scary isn't it?  

Why would we think we would be above apathy?  

Is it possible to be so engrossed in our religion that we are defiling the name of God without even realizing it?  Or...take out the word religion.  

Is it possible to be so engrossed with our church that we defile God's name?  

Is it possible to be so engrossed with our reputation that we defile God's name?  

Is it possible to be so engrossed in friendships that we defile God's name?  

That our lives are so full of "church activities" that we have just enough to cover up the fact that our lives are so full of idols that God isn't even truly being worshipped.  

The priests didn't get it.  When their contempt was brought to their attention, they questioned "How have we defiled You?"  

The priests offered blind, lame, and sick animals in sacrifice.  They would never had done this to their governor.  And yet, they did not give God their best.  They allowed the people to fall into their example.  

It happens today too.  Oh we're not dragging in blind goats to church.  But we do bring our attitude that says "well, at least I'm here, that's better than so and so"  We have this mentality that says if we give something to God every now and then that's good enough.  Because that's better than most right? 

Think about it--in Malachi's day animals were livelihood.  Can't you just see the people saying surely I can worship God AND make money.  They would keep their perfect animals, and sell them.  The ones that were imperfect--oh surely they were good enough for God.  

They wouldn't bring their best.  

God gave them a couple of options.  They could listen and take heart to repentance...or they could disregard His Word and suffer the consequences.  

Their sacrifices were not pleasing to God.  But it was fixable.  If they would just obey.  

These people had rebuilt the temple, for the worship of God, and yet in their acts of worship at the temple, they were despising His very Name.  They were wearied by worship.  

God said shut the temple doors--I need nothing from your hands.  

The risen Christ despises lukewarm faith.  

Worship is a privilege.  If we are not careful we can begin to view it as something that God needs from us.  It is a privilege.  At this very moment there are innumerable creatures worshipping Him.  He does not need us to worship Him.  He allows us too.  

I said earlier I've been here.  While I was studying this book, I saw a reflection of my own heart.  You see, on the outside everything looked so great.  I was so engrossed in my church activities that I missed the very object of my worship.  Sin is subtle like that.  Sometimes it comes wrapped up in a nice little package that looks very "Christian."  But the adversary was busy pulling small areas of my life away from the intimacy of God.  

Soon our family realized that yes, we were very very busy for God, but our family was not growing spiritually.  Church was more about our friends.  It was more of a social gathering than an act of worship.  And we were ok with that.  That was the problem.

God was leading us elsewhere.  A new church.  A new life.  A new beginning.  With this obviously came A LOT of prayer, a lot of tears, and unfortunately a lot of criticism.  But at the end of the day--we have to answer to our Heavenly Father, not the opinions of people just as flawed as we are.  

Most of us can look back on our lives and find places we didn't live up to our commitments as we should have.  But, rather than wallowing in feelings of guilt, ask God to free you from the past so you can be more faithful in the future.  

God forgive us for our apathy.  Give us your grace to see it.