Weather report from heaven: Sunny and bright with an abundance of light, and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”- Hebrews 12:1-3
Insight: One of my favorite writers is C.S. Lewis. He wrote one of my favorite Chriatian novels of all time called “The Screwtape Letters,” where he illustrates the strategies that the devil employs to distract, deceive and destroy Christians. Ultimately, the enemy’s real goal is to limit the power of Christians and to keep them from having a wide influence on leading others to Christ. Satan is vehemently opposed to the “Great Commission” that is instructed by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 as a natural response for us so lucky as to encounter His saving grace “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” So what tools does the enemy use? According to C.S. Lewis, one of the greatest and most subtly effective ones is apathy. Middle- Aged apathy to be exact. In fact, I feel one of the greatest lines ever penned in Christian Literature is around this thought when Lewis writes the following line: “Middle aged apathy makes for great campaigning weather” – C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Lewis points out that as Christians, we are constantly in a battle between the darkness and the light. The darkness wants to pull us back into our old ways and patterns of doing things, while the Light in Christ Jesus wants to take us into a new, higher state of being. The enemy wants us to be so comfortable in our “comfort zone” that we become no threat to him at all. We are content with our money, our status, our careers or whatever else we have obtained in our life that can make us feel comfortable. This last thing the enemy wants is for us to use the success we have had in earthly endeavors towards Kingdom purposes. He hates the idea of Christians using their time, talent and treasure to grow the Kingdom of God.
As we get older, apathy towards our faith is a big challenge, and the enemy loves to find ways to keep us apathetic. He will distract us with other pursuits. He will deceive us with false promises of great allure. He will use every tool in his kit to keep us from boldly serving the Lord. We should resist becoming apathetic towards the Lord, because He alone is the One who can give our soul the contentment it desires, our life the meaning we crave, and the peace that is elusive in everything else other than Him. Yet that is the sad reality of the times we are living in where distractions are around every corner, or more likely, every click. It is so hard to stay focused. We can’t shortcut the process of making it a daily habit of being in His presence. Our habits define what we are and what we become. The darkness will try to keep us from the light. We need to make it a daily habit to seek Him first so we are not vulnerable to the apathy that otherwise will threaten to destroy our relationship. If there is one thing we should not be apathetic about, it is what Christ has done for us. That should be the cause for which we feel great urgency and zeal in seeking Him to be our highest priority. Everything else is shifting sand.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to not grow apathetic in our relationship with You. When we seek You, help us feel Your presence in a tangible way that causes us to want You more and more. Amen!
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