How Do I Become the Christian I Was? - Part 2

Scott McFarland
08/01/21 - Sun AM Worship

Last week, we dealt with the unfortunate experience many of us have at some point or another in our Christian lives—regret. At some point, we may look back in the rearview mirror of life and realize we were a stronger Christian in our 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. What do we do with that?

While many times the reason for our spiritual regret is undealt with sin, sometimes the reason is just plain apathy. We lost our fire. Over time and years, we became jaded about life or comfortable with the way things were and we became apathetic. If apathy is the reason you’re feeling spiritual regret, know that God’s people have always struggled with apathy. Going all the way back to the Old Testament, we can see all sorts of examples. In fact, at its core, apathy is what got both the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel into trouble. They stopped caring about following God and allowed idolatry and other problems to creep in.

So, how do we deal? This morning we looked at a key part of dealing with apathy—“remember.” Go back to the beginning. What was it that sparked your passion, kept you fueled up, gave you energy in your spiritual life? Go back and renew those things again. Sometimes, we need to go back to go forward. When talking to married couples experiencing problems, I will often encourage them to tell me what initially drew them to their spouse. Was it their smile? Personality? Eyes? Laugh? Remembering the dating years can help jog the memory to remind us why we made the commitment of marriage in the first place.

Something as simple as remembering what things used to be like spiritually can renew a desire to keep going. Don’t give in to apathy. Remember. Go back to go forward.

-Scott McFarland