Tag Archives: apathy

Where Did My Flow Go?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by expressyourself4him

The first round of March Madness, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship begins March 18th in Dayton, Ohio.  While most sports rely on talent to win titles, momentum is a crucial element for teams to advance and move on to the next round.  However, once a school experiences a losing streak, especially late in the season, its hard to find the flow that led to their initial success.

In life, each day contains a series of twists and turns, taking you to the top of Mount Everest at one moment, before an avalanche of circumstances buries your flow in a pile of humility.  Subsequently, your passion for getting up vanishes, causing you to get stuck in a puddle of apathy.  Like Popeye without his spinach, tasks become endless chores sucking any joy remaining in your soul.  Searching for answers, people will ponder, “where did my flow go?”

The master of parables, short stories with nuggets of truth, Jesus had a way with words, helping the lost discover the flow they were looking for in life.  Whether you were a Pharisee like Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman looking for love in all the wrong places or a prostitute on the verge of being stoned to death, Jesus provided clues in the Bible to obtain a flow which would last a lifetime, John 10:10.  If you’re not satisfied with your current living conditions, John 3:16-17, John 4:13-14 and John 8:11-12 contains a road map for life to locate the permanent flow you desire.

by Jay Mankus

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I Don’t Feel Like It Today

Posted on February 19, 2014 by expressyourself4him

After another frustrating day visiting the doctor, sometimes its hard to stay motivated.  When I woke up this morning, I didn’t feel like reading the Bible or praying.  Part of me thought, “what’s the point?”  I’ve done everything I can think of and I’m still not cleared to return to work.

Perhaps, this same emotion is experienced by millions of individuals on a daily basis.  Once you bust your butt and work hard without any tangible results, apathy and pessimism often set in.  Thus, staying hopeful is a battle, especially when others around you seem to be better off than yourself.  In these moments, faith must be more than a feeling or else you will collapse under a sea of disappointment.

Despite my initial inclination, I fought through these urges to give God my first fruits, the first hour of my day.  Although I did not receive the outcome I wished for, there is still enough time in this day for my prayer to be answered.  When desperation sets in, the Lord is the only firm foundation remaining, Psalm 28:1.  Within my own uncertainty, I cling to the promise of Psalm 28:7, hoping to leap for joy instead of feeling depressed.

by Jay Mankus

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All or Nothing

Posted on November 19, 2013 by expressyourself4him

From my own life experiences, people usually fit into 1 of 3 categories: those that don’t care, people who are somewhat committed and individuals who give everything they have.  If  you change  the subject, topic or give incentives, degrees of seriousness will likely increase.  However, in the end, God has provided human beings with freewill, allowing each to set their own level of commitment.

Exodus 19:5-6 contains a promise for anyone willing to give the Lord 100% of their attention.  Anything less than being all in and the carrot at the end of the stick will be null and void.  The prize for fully obeying God and keeping the covenant of Circumcision and Passover is out of this world.  According to Exodus 19:5, the Lord will make Israel his treasured possession on earth.  Yet, words mean nothing unless action is inspired by faith, James 2:14-26.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGoWtY_h4xo

A similar promise is made to those believers exiled from Rome during Nero’s persecution of Christians near the end of the 60’s AD.  One of the disciples from Jesus’ inner circle expresses the following within 1 Peter 2:4-10.  Although Peter mentions predestination, you can’t use this as a cop out or disclaimer.  Rather, just like the days of Israel wandering in the wilderness, the choice is yours: all or nothing, Deuteronomy 30:15.

by Jay Mankus

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So What… Nobody Cares Anymore

Posted on October 1, 2013 by expressyourself4him

 

Last week I interrupted a conversation between 2 co-workers.  As I was passing through an aisle, I overheard a gal say, “nobody cares anymore!”  Feeling compelled to interject hope, I responded, “I care.”  Unfortunately, this young lady is right, as apathy, complacency and self conceit has hardened the hearts of many Americans.

 

In the days of Pharaoh, God allowed a similar behavior to take hold of the king of Egypt.  Despite seeing Moses perform miracle after miracle, he refused to let the Israelites leave for 3 days to hold a festival in the desert.  As a result, Pharaoh punished the Hebrews, making their workload more difficult and beating foremen whose crews did not meet their daily quota, Exodus 5:4-14.

 

The pessimists will turn to passages of the Bible like 2 Timothy 2:1-5, claiming the end is near.  Meanwhile, optimists will highlight others verses like 2 Peter 1:3-4. proclaiming victory over evil desires is possible.  However, the negativity which persists throughout the world often creates a wave that knocks over good intentions.  Thus, harmful attitudes pollute the air, making it difficult to influence minds.  Therefore, if you want to break this trend, you will need spiritual intervention to break the regional strongholds that exist in the spiritual realm, Ephesians 6:12.

By Jay Mankus

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