Guest Post: Cure for Apathy

A husband to Janine for 20+ years and father of 3 amazing daughters, Gregg serves as a pastor at Shelter Rock Church (www.shelterrockchurch.com) on Long Island, NY, loves to write (www.gpfarah.com), and is quite fond of pizza. He writes books to remind us God is big and faith is fun. 

Gregg is publishing two spiritual growth books. Visit www.indiegogo.com/52series to learn more and to get a copies for yourself or a group.

I’m Cured!

Good news! Comedian George Carlin reports that scientists have found a cure for apathy. Apparently, no one has shown the slightest bit of interest in it.

My guess is you’re not apathetic about your spiritual growth. You want to grow spiritually and you’re open to doing something about it. But, if you’re like me, you might be a bit intimidated. I’ve been motivated to do other things in the past, without success. I’ve set goals, I’ve purchased equipment, I’ve publicly declared my intentions…only to revise my goals, return the equipment, and ultimately avoid everyone I told. And because it’s not easy to make an entirely new set of friends, I end up eating yet another slice of humble pie and try not to get excited about anything…ever again.

But we can’t live that way. Especially when it comes to life with God and pursuing all God has for us. Look at what the Apostle Paul teaches:

Let your roots grow down into Christ and draw up nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the faith” (Colossians 2:7, Living Bible).

Strength and vigor anyone? I’m in. I’d love to have my faith described that way. And I’d relish the opportunity to know God and the Bible intimately. Yet despite my good intentions, I end up frustrated and assume “spiritual giant” status isn’t for me.

That’s the day I took a walk. An on that walk I saw a sunset that nearly dropped me to my knees. I was humbled by the beauty God created and the power in it. I pulled out my phone and did a Bible search on the words “God” and “beauty” and found Isaiah 52:7:

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

“Your God reigns!” (NIV)

It described my feeling exactly. I wanted to run and tell others about what I was seeing. I wanted everyone to slow down and stop walking, stop talking, stop texting and LOOK. I wanted people to observe God’s power and beauty and declare “your God reigns!”

And that’s when I realized I had gotten more out of a five minute encounter with God than an earlier twenty-minute quiet time. It’s important to note I advocate time alone with God, Bible reading, and prayer. But I know too many people who have given up growing deeper with God because they have trouble reading the Bible and are easily distracted in prayer. Anyone can grow spiritually. Anyone. You don’t have to have an advanced degree or the latest gadget or another book (except my new one…smile). In fact, all you need is a fresh commitment to hear from God and look for God. Enough reading. Time to start listening and looking.