Lukewarm

Friday was rough.  I woke up a little frustrated and angry and little things kept happening all morning that, while I don't like them, wouldn't normally make me feel like screaming.  Friday, I felt like screaming.  It was one of those days where the battle was fierce.  After ranting with fellow teachers at lunch, I spent the rest of my lunch buried in my Bible, asking for help, and, finally, got some peace.  But the problems and frustrations didn't end.  One of the big frustrations of my day was the lack of retention my students were showing.  Things they needed to know from the past math they have learned, they didn't remember.  Another teacher and I were discussing (this was the ranting part, really) what we could do to combat this - more homework, more class time, what would help?  Once lunch was over and I was feeling some peace about life, I could finally listen to the Father, talk to the Father, and think logically as He guided me.  I started to think about what we had done in the past.  My class consists of a mix of students who had me last year and who had another teacher last year.  We are very different in our teaching styles and I usually assign less than half the homework that she assigns.  So how are the kids comparing now, a year later?  I find that they are all retaining about the same amount from last year's material.  So, obviously teaching style and homework amounts aren't the answer.  I started to dig deeper and really tried to listen so we could get to the heart of the issue.  I was awakened yesterday morning with one word - "apathy".  Our students just don't care.  The only ones retaining information from past classes are the ones that care.  Unfortunately, retention of school material is only a symptom of a much larger disease.  I read an article this morning about apathy.  The author, Paul Maxwell, stated that, for this generation, "I don't care" has moved to "That doesn't matter" and "I'm not motivated" to "I'm not persuaded".  Apathy is a part of our culture.  It is a disease that has infiltrated every part of people's lives.  We are apathetic about everything.  And, I believe, it begins with spiritual apathy.  Jesus states our situation well:

Revelation 3:15-19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [a]spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

This is an epidemic.  Something needs to be done so that the tide of the battle can be turned.  But what?  How can we shake off the apathy ourselves and then help the people around us to also do so?  Clearly, Jesus tells us to "be zealous and repent".  We have to start by acknowledging the problem as sin and repent.  Not just saying "forgive me", but turning around and leaving that lifestyle.  It will take lots and lots of prayer and surrender.  We have to stand firm and always be watching, remembering that we are in combat and that there are lives at stake - not physically, maybe, but spiritually.  And until we can repent and turn from apathy ourselves, we can't help others to see the problem in their own lives.  Being passionate about something is contagious.  So we need to be passionate - first and foremost about Jesus, and we also need to be patient.