“APATHY”

 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Matthew 10:7

The internet and social media have changed how we interact and communicate. While they offer many benefits, they are responsible for the apathy in our society. Social media, in particular, triggers indifference by overwhelming us with a ton of tragic or intense content. Couple that with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), which makes it harder and harder for us to detect real content or computer-generated material, and we find ourselves just scrolling on our phones without feeling anything.

Since we live in an entertainment-driven culture where many of us are distracted and have shallow engagement with faith, it is challenging to help people take an interest in the Gospel. As such, we fail to realize that "the harvest is great."

Maybe you want to do your part in the Great Commission and feel compelled to share the Good News of Christ with people who don’t seem to care. How can you point them to Christ when they don't even see their need for God?

Apathy: A Serious Evangelism Challenge

When we talk about challenges to evangelism, we probably think about atheism, agnosticism, and relativism, among others. However, these things deal with beliefs about God, not necessarily attitudes toward Him.

According to Lifeway Research, 75 percent of pastors believe apathy and lack of commitment are among the issues that the church needs to address.¹ If apathy is a problem within the church, how much more for those outside of it?

For the most part, we live in a much easier, much more comfortable world than people did 50 years ago. Information is highly accessible, and entertainment is a real source of distraction.

While people may believe in God's existence, they don't see His significance in their lives. They feel that they don’t have use for Him. They are doing well on their own, so why do they need a Savior? How do we get their attention to talk about God, sin, and Christ?

Today's verse encourages us to share Christ with others, even with the indifferent. It empowers us to carry the hope-inspiring message of the Gospel. With the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we can go about our daily lives, knowing that we are exactly where we can shine the light of Christ. Just as the disciples were given the power to change people's lives, so are we given the opportunity to introduce them to Jesus, who alone can give them hope. So, let's go out there and engage in meaningful conversations that lead people to the Cross of Christ.

Pursue the Savior today!

Reference:

¹ https://research.lifeway.com/2022/05/10/apathy-in-churches-looms-large-for-pastors/

Photo by Margot Noyelle on Unsplash