The Tragedy of Lethargy
I’m one of those Christians that have always been “in the club.” I grew up in the church; attended every service and special event that was made available to me (which in the heart of the bible belt was abundant); and even accepted the call of ministry at a very early age. For me, that is all that I ever wanted to do. God continually proved Himself to be so good to my family, throughout the darkest times of our lives, that it thrust me headfirst into a passionate relationship with my heavenly Father that would carry me unquestionably well into my adult life. From a public perspective, I was on the fast track into the “Big time” of music ministry. I went into full-time ministry at the age of 20 and stayed busy writing music, growing my craft and studying the word. Yet beneath the outgoing exterior, a seed was planted and was taking root. It is the same seed that is planted in the hearts and minds o every believer at one point or another. It was the seed of COMPROMISE. For me it was never a compromise of moral implication or interpersonal disconnect. Rather it was the compromise that is a rotting disease infecting the church of Christ: LETHARGY.
Now this word is simply defined as a deficiency in mental or physical alertness. Lethargy is a state of sluggishness, drowsy dullness or apathy. The old saying goes, “Don’t shoot the messenger.” However, the tactic of our enemy has not been to shoot the messengers of the church. Matthew 16:18 says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church of God, built upon the foundation of Christ. However, his tactic has been to initially divide us into ineffectiveness; and secondly to slowly dull our senses by such low levels of individual compromise that we are no longer functional as disciples of this radical revolutionary named Jesus. The Christian band, Casting Crowns, came out with the single “Slow Fade” many years ago that demonstrates my point beautifully.
The chorus to that song goes like this:
“It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray. Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, People never crumble in a day, It’s a slow fade.”
The time has come for us to wake up and see that there is a world out there in desperate need of God.
What happens when good people sit back and do nothing? What happens when those who are supposed to be alive in Christ, live out their daily lives in the same fashion as their worldly counterparts? The history of America over the last 60 years has shown that when the church is divided, we lose ground. When the church is quiet, other voices will rise. The time is now to come together. The time has come to be in the world, but not of the world. The time is now to stand up and declare that we are the Body of Christ, and we will spread the message of God’s grace. With the fuel of God’s anointing and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church will come aLive.