Apathy

robzombie said:

Prior to summer 07 i was an atheist. My faith remains strong; i believe that God exists and that Jesus was sacrificed to save us. My problem is that i no longer care. I occassionaly pick up the bible and read a bit. Sometimes do that thing where you open the bible at random and use the first thng you come across and always half worry that it counts as divination but anyway yes. Is it normal not to care? Its been this way for about 4 months?

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To be honest, I want that apathy. Sometimes it has a negative connotation, but I think it gives you a bit of peace. I am growing a bit tired of debating all the time and never reaching anywhere.

I think a lot of this time it comes in phases. I've felt that way sometimes-like I just don't care, don't care about prayer, don't really care about what's going on in my life spiritually, and find it a pain to take the time out to read the Bible.

At the same time though, it's good to recognize that you have a problem and challenge yourself maybe to pray at least a few minutes a day about it. Ask God to knit your heart to His heart. I think it's fairly normal to feel this way. But it's when you're apathetic about your own apathy (make sense?) that it could turn into a serious problem and start a downhill trend spiritually and in the way you live your life.

Also I think that there are moments in your life where you feel like you will need God more then at other times, life can jolt you out of apathy quick.

It took me three or four years to get back to the point where I cared about things again, zombie. Really depends on how far down you were.

You should post your testimony and give us a link here.

It's part of being a teenager, if you knew who Nirvana was you'd know that. (Although I see you're 17, which means you were born only a couple years before Kurt Cobain killed himself, so if you don't know them I don't blame you)

There's nothing wrong with focusing on the needs and details of life before moving on to worry about the spiritual. Especially during the college years, life can get mighty interesting. You will have time to move on to the rest, don't worry if you're not doing it just yet.

robzombie said:

Prior to summer 07 i was an atheist. My faith remains strong; i believe that God exists and that Jesus was sacrificed to save us. My problem is that i no longer care. I occassionaly pick up the bible and read a bit. Sometimes do that thing where you open the bible at random and use the first thng you come across and always half worry that it counts as divination but anyway yes. Is it normal not to care? Its been this way for about 4 months?

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hi, well I think the very fact that you care that you no longer care counts for something. People do go through ups and downs in their faith, and that is normal. But, I think it's important to be careful.. because if you don't try to keep your faith, you would eventually lose it. This might happen gradually. Don't try to "make yourself" care - as in make yourself feel something. Feelings come and go. But try to seek God and grow closer to Him, and to understand His love for you. The more you consciously experience His love, the more you care. (well that's how it's been like for me..) think what Jesus went through on the cross...and this is something that He chose to do, for you - not just "for humanity" but also for you as an individual. We understand Jesus best when we meditate on the Cross.
I suggest that you make a commitment to pray. But be careful that it doesn't become 'mechanical'... try to mean the words and remember, God is really listening to you.
Do you have any worship music? Do you go to church? Do you have any books that inspire you..
Try reading the Bible but letting God speak to you.
I think that prayer probably works the best, especially the type of prayer where you listen to God, not just talk.

God bless

monica

sbvera13 said:

There's nothing wrong with focusing on the needs and details of life before moving on to worry about the spiritual. Especially during the college years, life can get mighty interesting. You will have time to move on to the rest, don't worry if you're not doing it just yet.

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Hi, I see what you're saying, but I'd really be careful with that...many people have lost their faith entirely this way, and forgot all about the spiritual. I think it's best to make the 'spiritual' part of your everyday life, and then you wouldn't have to choose

Peace

monica

MoNiCa4316 said:

Hi, I see what you're saying, but I'd really be careful with that...many people have lost their faith entirely this way, and forgot all about the spiritual. I think it's best to make the 'spiritual' part of your everyday life, and then you wouldn't have to choose

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True enough. Some things however manage to get in the way. Depression, for example, should be clinicly treated and that should be the suffere's first priority (as was my case). There's a fine line between though between forgetting about the spiritual and temporarily reducing it's priority- it's easy to forget about, so you still raise a good point.