Overcoming Apathy and A Defeated Mindset

The meaning of Apathy in the Greek apatheia, from apathēs without feeling, from a- + pathos emotion
1 : lack of feeling or emotion : impassiveness 2 : lack of interest or concern : indifference

One of the things that plague the body of Christ more than anything is apathy. What I mean about apathy is our lack of interest in prayer or evangelism. Go ahead, call a prayer meeting at church and see how many people show up. Ask the local church to go out on a weekly basis to win the lost and few faithful members will show up. Tell everyone you are having a potluck and people will show in masses. We live in the fish and loaves generation. As far as diligence goes the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses have us beat.

So what happened between the early church and today's church? What did they have that we don't? They were being threatened, beaten and dragged to jail; yet no one could keep them from sharing their faith. They would spend hours and days praying for the Holy Spirit to pour out. They spent a lot of time in fellowship being of one mind, one heart and shared all things in common. Now or days it's difficult to get churches to agree to participate in an evangelistic event. Just recently I talked to a brother that had gone to a group of pastors to ask for support in his evangelistic event but they just simply told him "it was too soon." In other words, we aren't going to help you. This my friends are apathy at it's best. Don't bother me about the lost souls of this city. I'm having a potluck that same day. I am being cynical but you know what I mean. For those of you who think I'm being critical just think about the last time you had a problem and you told your fellow Christians in your life about it. Did they offer to pray and fast for you? Did they stop what they were doing and minister to you?

The main point I'm trying to make is that it's hard to get Christians to pray. There is an overall apathy when it comes to prayer. I really think that this has to do with the philosophy of Determinism that has infiltrated the church. This is a secular philosophy.
This is how it is described:
Determinism necessarily entails that humanity or individual humans may not change the course of the future and its events (a position known as fatalism); however, some determinists believe that the level to which human beings have influence over their future is itself merely dependent on present and past.
Fatalism generally refers to several of the following ideas:

1. A flawed perception of the consequences of exercised free will, ignorance, and forgetfulness.
2. That free will does not exist, meaning therefore that history has progressed in the only manner possible. ^[1] This belief is very similar to determinism.
3. That actions are free, but nevertheless work toward an inevitable end. ^[2] This belief is very similar to compatibilist predestination.
4. That acceptance is appropriate, rather than resistance against inevitability. This belief is very similar to defeatism.

So when we don't pray it's because deep down we have a fatalistic view of our world and believe that our resistance to the inevitable is a waste of time. If all events have been predetermined then why bother to pray. This is why I believe why there is so much apathy in the church. We don't believe that our prayers will change the outcome of our circumstances or God's dealings in this world. Determinism has only disguised itself as submission to sovereignty and covered up for our unbelief. This is why many of us don't pray for the sick or the people we feel God is judging. Yet, Abraham prayed to stop the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. He was able to spare a few people through his intercession. Jeremiah wept and pleaded with Israel to return to God. James 5:15 Elijah was a man with like passions but he ended the drought in the land through prayer. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail even though he knew Peter would betray him. The Godhead is in constant intercession for us. Why would they do this if the outcome of our life can't be changed? Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Like many of you I had that same mindset but this scripture broke that over me.
Joel 2:12-14 ¹² “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD,

“ Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
¹³ So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
¹⁴ Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind Him—

Brothers and sisters it's never too late to turn around the circumstances in your lives. It's not too late to shake things up before his return. Let's get rid of this apathetic, fatalistic, defeated attitude that has kept the church from being the true salt in this world. Let's rise up to the influence and blessing that God has always intended his church to be in this world.

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