Apathy

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Why do people lose interest in certain activities in life? Are they bored because that activity seems to be the same every day, week, month, year? Like watching the same television program over and over, it can become very predictable. Could it be because that person's expectation of that particular activity is not being fulfilled? Let us then apply these thoughts to the christian walk. Many people seem to start out with great enthusiasm for God and the things of God, but gradually over time become apathetic. I have heard some people say that the newborn believers make the best evangelists, which is a lie because they do not know Jesus Christ or His gospel. I believe that those people have said this because they have observed the zeal of new believers. The inference here is that as one progresses that zeal is lost. Well it does not have to be that way.

 REVELATION 2 : 1 - 5 NKJV
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

It appears that the above mentioned church of Ephesus is faithfully doing the works that they believe that they should. They have faithfully persevered, but they have left their first love. As a believer what should your first love be?

MARK 12 : 30 NKJV
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

If then the first love that Jesus is referring to is to love God, how can this be if those believers are faithfully obeying Him? Many people do things out of obligation or perceived obligation, and not out of love. Like a child that knows that it will be in trouble with it's parents if it does not do what it is told to do. Does that mean that the child loves the parent and is pleased to be doing what it has been asked to do? 
So how does one lose their first love? If we use a marriage as an example, we can see that some marriages last and some do not. The ones that last are the ones where both people overcome their differences with one another because love binds them together. In other words, when there is an argument, they pursue reconciliation with one another because they love each other. The ones that do not last are the opposite, generally there would be at least one of the two who is too self-centered. The self-centered person is not interested in reconciliation because they will not have their own way. So it can be the same in our relationship with God. Are we getting our own way? What is in this relationship for me? This is boring. The same old thing every day, week, month, year. There must be more to life than this, however I will be in big trouble if I do not do what I am told. That person does not love Jesus. Why? Because that person is only concerned with themself. They do not have the capacity to love anyone else because they are so all about them. How can someone who is like this change? Jesus says above "repent". Repent of what? Well a person who is self-centered is not christian. Jesus is the role model and He demonstrated complete selflessness by laying His life down for us. No greater love can anyone have. How much then will we lay our lives down for Jesus out of love for Him? You see if the relationship is all about what we can get from Him, then it is all about us and not about Him. If a person has become bored with doing the same old christianity, they were not doing christianity! It means that they do not believe that they are getting enough out of it. If this is you or even partly you, then the answer is to repent. You could ask God to show you why you do not really love Him. You could ask Him to teach you how to love Him. If you do not think that this is you, then you could ask God to show you if you have any apathy towards Him, just as a healthy relationship check.

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