Discern and Overcome Common TemptationsНамуна

The Silent Killers

Temptations: Laziness/Spiritual Apathy & Fear

The temptation to give in to spiritual apathy, laziness, and fear is real! Spiritual apathy is when our pursuit of God becomes passive, boring, or routine. Laziness is when we tell ourselves it will not be a bombshell if we delay doing something the Holy Spirit prompts us to do until later, when we feel better or have time. It wants us to settle for comfort over commitment. Fear is when we blow up all the possibilities of what can go wrong in a specific situation. When they work together, they create a dangerous cycle: apathy will weaken your spiritual sensitivity as you fall away into laziness. Fear, on the other hand, will tell you to control everything and everyone to ensure that all will be okay! The result is a life marked by stagnation rather than spiritual growth. You do not want to end up here! If you experience that you are stuck at the moment, ask the Holy Spirit to show you whether you may have fallen into the trap of any of these specific temptations.

Discernment helps us identify when our spiritual fire is dimming. Overcoming these temptations requires intentional discipline and a renewed mind. Even when you do not feel like it, you must resist these temptations. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the intention to resist what pulls you down.

Prayer:

Lord, help me discern any area of apathy or spiritual decay in my life. Give me the courage to take definite steps to overcome these temptations. Replace fear with boldness and passivity with passion. Stir my heart afresh for the things of Your Kingdom. Amen.