Spiritual Desires? or Apathy?

2/5/23

DOES ANYONE WANT THE WORD OF GOD ?? Really ?? Now ??

The following paragraphs were written by me just after the first bible class I’m conducting in the current time and place, after what seemed to me to be a futile attempt to start a class for people who profess to desire to know the Lord better, and who seemed to want to do His will in their lives. I was more distraught than I should have been, I suppose. But, for the first time in many years I felt like a failure. After the next four paragraphs, this blog will continue in a more current vein of thought. I’ll mark the new writing with another set of these.>>

During the month of December, 2022, I began talking to some folks who were looking for a bible study event they could attend. They didn’t need a church to join, they just knew they were not learning what the Word of God wanted them to know. After talking to them on about 3 or 4 occasions, I asked them if I started a bible class, would they attend. They warmly and eagerly said, yes they would. I knew and understood their dilemma, it had happened to my wife and I fifty years ago, 1973. In fact we had searched many churches at that time to see where we could really learn what “thus saith the Lord!” We found a really good bible teacher/pastor at a neighborhood church and the day we joined the church, he announced he was leaving. Argh! So, we searched on and in January, 1974, found an independent home classroom type bible study that was superb. Been studying this way for 49 years now.

These folks last month and some others who showed an interest prompted me to seek a location and one opened to me through the first person I talked with. We started the class last night (1/15/23) and the couple who started talking with me back in December were the only ones who came (except two couples who are dear friends and were there more of a moral support than as students.) All six people seemed to enjoy the class and I also made the class my weekly internet/YouTube/Facebook page class, so I’m not concerned about who heard the bible class.

Over the course of the two weeks prior to that first class, however, I personally invited about 25 friends with whom at one time or another I have had bible discussions. All of them except two gave me very positive replies and therefore I expected about half of them to show up for a trial class. They never would have thought (from our conversations, at least) there was any reason to fear any coercion, nor a call for support, nor be asked to “join” something or other! Yet, none came. None. Why? What weakened  their interest? Did they just forget? Or did they resist the idea we were going to sit down together and read the word of God? Is their a deep-seated fear of changing their minds about something?—the old “don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is made up!” syndrome? 

I’m working my way through the feeling of failure, not because of any certain peoples who didn’t show up, but for the energy to persevere at showing people what the Lord has for us in His word. My avid belief in all things being made clear by the word of God remains, but whether I can relay that to the lives of hearers is causing a good deal of turmoil in me at the present. Time will tell, I guess.

>> Now we are getting ready to have our fourth bible class. The one precious couple who desired the class and came the first week received some bad news from the lady’s father. He’s gravely ill and needed them, they’ll be gone for another month or so. The second week though, a new person came, and another friend from another class, and so we had a class we could clearly see was beneficial to a “new” student. Then the third week they came again and a couple of faithful friends, so we press on. 

I’m not feeling more light-hearted about the invitees dismissal of the class and I’m trying to hold off any anxiety or pensive mournfulness toward those who have not even given the class a try. I don’t think I resent them. I’m just very saddened to have lived to see such apathy about the word of God. Everyone who was invited to the class had previously told me they believed in the Lord, believed the Bible was His words, and had told me they wanted to know more. Yet, it seems to be dismissed from their minds. Why? How did the worth of a bible class slip into such indifference? What if they’ve missed the exact words which would have freed them from the bondage they each had expressed? Will they never think that might have been a possibility?

I know I will understand one day. I wish it was today.

Thanks for reading, the Elder