Resuscitation: Battling Apathy

Love is passionate. When Jesus went to the cross for the sins of all people it was the greatest display of love this world will ever know. We call it His passion. Love is passionate.

What is the opposite of passion? Apathy. Apathy is the "absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement". (dictionary.com) Have you ever felt apathetic? Maybe life seems a bit mundane & you just continue through, day after day, with no emotion or excitement. It feels lifeless. It reminds me of a story in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 37, Ezekiel experienced a vision of being placed by the Lord into the middle of a valley full of bones. The Lord asked him, "Can these bones live?" to which Ezekiel replied, "O Lord God, You know". Ezekiel is leaving this question up to the Lord because he knows that the Lord is the only one who brings life.

It is easy for me to get into routine. I like structure, but when life becomes too regimented it is easy to go through the motions without experiencing emotion. I want my life to be so much more than that!

In his September 22nd sermon entitled "The Purpose of Prayer", Pastor Robert Morris discusses territorial spirits. He explains that principalities are princes who rule over a geographical region. These territorial spirits have strongholds over cities and regions. For example, he explains that Gateway Church (the church for which he is the lead pastor) was planted in Southlake, Texas--a city known for pride and greed. Morris knew that as a church they would be planted there to battle those principalities. Now the church is known for its humility and generosity. He explains that we have to "Pray and walk in the opposite spirit to tear down a principality". The enemy is not going to idly sit back and let us call our nation back to God, we need to go to deeper levels of prayer and to walk in the Holy Spirit.

In this same way, the principality ruling over this region in Salem, Oregon has a stronghold of apathy. We come against this stronghold by praying and walking in passion. As Christians we need to be known for our passion and our joy. What encourages me is knowing I am a part of the Kingdom and my King rules over all. I am not bound by the stronghold of a territorial spirit, because my King has set me free!

I don't want to live a passionless life. I don't want to love in passionless ways. I don't want my marriage to have only a few sparks. I don't want my worship to lack expression. I want the passion that Jesus has poured out over me to leak onto everything around me. I can't beat this spirit of apathy, but my Saviour already has! Like the valley of dry bones, only God can breathe life into all people. Jesus came to give us new life!

I want to love like Jesus loves. I want to see beauty and potential in the "hopeless case". I want to see His life-giving breath bring to life what once was dead. I want to reflect His glory. I want to resound His grace. After all, Jesus was the most passionate person to ever live, and I want to continually fall more and more in love with Him.

The Bridge Builder

An old man going along his way
Came at the evening cold and grey,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
With steps it seemed were known to him
Then built a bridge as he'd once been taught
With two trees felled and a rope he'd brought.

"Old man," said a fellow-pilgrim near,
"Your wasting strength with building here.
You must go on at break of day,
You never again will pass this way.
You've crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build a bridge at the even tide?"

The builder lifted his old grey head,
"Good friend, in the path I've come," he said,
"There follows after me today,
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He too must cross in the twilight dim.
Good friend, I built the bridge for him."


By Will Allen Dromgoole, (modified by Tom Schattke)