We have become a culture of “meh”. We can ask about any subject matter and our answer is “meh”. It’s an attitude of indifference. We have become individualists with no need to think about anything except that which WE care about. And it’s no different with church family and our spiritual lives. We have become spiritually stale and depressingly detached.
Jesus tells the church in Laodicea that they not only break his heart but turn his stomach (Revelation 3:15-16). There are a couple of things we can learn from that stale church full of “meh” followers of Christ.
One cause for spiritual indifference is the illusion of self-sufficiency. In other words, we don’t need anybody’s help, including Jesus. We are a nation who has everything, and yet, we have nothing that matters. Jesus says we are spiritually void.
A second cause of spiritual indifference are the distractions of this world. Jesus tells us in Mark 4, that the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things crowd out a real desire to follow Jesus.
So, how do I know that I’ve become indifferent? By what measure do I realize I’ve become someone who is not hot nor cold for my faith? Over 30 years of ministry has given me a few ideas to measure my life by. Here they are:
I may be more concerned with impressing people than living for God. Our social media really shows what we care about. We post pictures of last night’s dinner, our latest hair style, and our vacation but do we post prayers, or scripture, or how Jesus has effected our lives? We should be proud to proclaim our faith.
We may be more obsessed with life on earth rather than eternity. American life seems to be about gathering stuff and what I can get right now. Rather than focusing on our eternal life, we are busy outdoing the Jones’.
We may rationalize sin and live without truly fearing or respecting God. In our culture, we simply rename sin so it’s not as painful to hear. We call porn, adult entertainment; we call adultery, an affair. We begin pointing to others and saying, “I’m not as bad as they are” so the spotlight will hopefully fall away from us.
I may believe in Jesus but rarely share my faith. Do we not believe that Jesus is the answer? That he is the only salvation available? There are lots of ways to share the Gospel. Let me encourage you to use your social media as a way to tell others what Jesus has done for you.
We may turn to God only when we need him for something. Rather than seeking him every day, we call on him just when it benefits us. He becomes a tool to use rather than a God we worship.
Without realizing it, we wake up one day and realize we have become spiritually indifferent. We have become “meh” about Jesus and his church. So, how do I reignite the fire for Kingdom living?
I’d encourage you to pick ONE of the following items. Don’t do them all because you’ll end up doing none of them. Just pick ONE of the following and do it for the next 28 days.
Read God’s Word every day for the next 28 days. The Book of Acts has 28 chapters; Proverbs, in the Bible’s Old Testament has 31 chapters. These are just 2 of 66 options.
Or join a small group to attend every week to be with others who want to pursue God.
Or begin praying every single day for the next 28 days.
Or share your faith or something about your faith every day for the next 28 days.
Or discover how you can be more than a Sunday morning Christian by attending multiple church events over the next 28 days.
Now, why do I keep saying “28 days”? Because the experts say that’s how long it takes to form a habit. Do something everyday that requires faith…something you can’t do on your own. You and the Holy Spirit have got this. It’s time to change. It’s time to follow the Lord so closely his dust settles upon you. Blessings on the journey.