Do you talk yourself into apathy?

“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” – Proverbs 28:1

I remember well the day when my Dad first taught me how to cut the grass.  Not a few days prior, he had promised me that the next time the yard needed mowing, I was going to get to do it.  When the day finally came, Dad meandered casually down the stairs with his yard clothes on and beckoned me to follow.  I sprung from the couch into action, anxious to run the mower and cut the grass.  I remember well the lesson that day.  He showed me how to choke our Honda push mower to get it to start.  He showed me where to put gas in if it was sparse in that area.  He showed me how to engage the blade and how to cut straight lines.  He cautioned me and exhorted me where needed.  With sweat on my brow and an ach in my legs I lead that mower over the entire yard; then cleaned it off, and put it up until our next engagement.  As time went by (coupled weeks or so), the joy of cutting the grass soon faded.  When it was time to mow the lawn; there was no springing from the couch into action, but rather I had to be persuaded, prodded, and lectured to get me to do so.  The reason for my apathy was simple; I had learned how to talk myself into apathy.    

From the first time I cut the grass to the hundredth time I cut it; the obstacles that stood in my way, by and large, had not changed.  The only thing that had changed was my outlook and attitude.  The first time, it was a new and exciting adventure.  The hundredth time, it was a chore, and when it became a chore I found reasons why I should do nothing.  I would say “I can’t cut it now, it’s too early in the morning and there is dew still on the grass.  It will be easier if I wait until the sun dry’s it up.”  Then the sun would come up and I would say it is to hot outside.   It was always, to hot, too cold or I had a preventative injury of some kind.  I talked myself into apathy.  That is, mentally searching for obstacles to use as excuses.  Intentionally enlarging minuscule adversity in order to justify NOT DOING ANYTHING!  The reality is this doesn’t just happen when it comes to cutting the grass.

Stop and ask yourself, how many lost souls do you think remain that way, simply because the righteous talk themselves into apathy?  How oft do we mentally search for obstacles to use as excuses to, not do something for God.  Search your heart, has there been neglect to witness to your hairdresser, co-worker, grocer, schoolmate, simply because of reasoning to apathy?  I myself confess that there has been occasion where the only thing that kept me from proclaiming the message of Christ was a raised eyebrow.  Talking yourself into apathy can extended beyond witnessing to your fellow man.  How many times have we quenched the moving of the Holy Ghost because, “that’s just not what they do here”  How many times have we neglected our personal devotion time to the scriptures with a promise of “I will get to it later.”  I pray that I am alone in this experience of talking myself into apathy.  My prayer is that no one has a clue what I am talking about.  That I am totally alone in this matter, but my fear is that I am not.    

When God puts something on our hearts, whether it is a new and exciting adventure or nothing short of a chore, it doesn’t matter, we must go out in obedience.  Fleeing from the task is shameful, and wicked.  The antidote to apathy is a good dose of faith.  Not that I would claim that this is the only cure, but it’s hard to find an example of a person in the scriptures that is both full of faith and apathetic.  When we proclaim that we are Christian’s, followers of Christ, and the Master puts something on your heart; it’s there for a reason.  You might think it uncomfortable to yourself in carrying it out.  You might be a little embarrassed or feel a little corny……well, really, who cares?  Take a leap of faith and say “Lord, I will.”  He will guide and direct you.  God does not need us to be qualified; he needs us to be willing.  He will guide us and teach us to perform that which is needful to advance his kingdom, all we must do is leap into action.