DO NOT LOSE HEART

Reading this book may make your life harder.

This is probably an odd way to start a book, but I felt like I should

put the cards out on the table.

Also, this is not another Christian self-help book; there are far

too many of those in circulation already.

My biggest fear is not that you will disagree with what I write

in this book; my biggest fear is that you will agree with what I

write and do nothing about it. Inactive followers of Jesus are not

followers at all, but they surely feel entitled to the same benefits.

Much of this book attempts to fight for one of the only things that

the individual mind has control over: the genuity of heart. You

can’t control the weather, war, or your significant other, but you

can cultivate a genuine, non-apathetic heart.

In recent decades—despite the increase in chaos, disasters, and

the inevitable dangers facing the world—our levels of apathy

have actually increased. We face countless “ends of the world,”

whether they be by way of pollution, climate disaster, food

shortages, animal extinction, nuclear warfare, or the bee crisis.

Even though our levels of anxiety in the West are constantly

spiking, we neglect to search for and deal with the actual sources of anxiety or depression. Instead, we choose to cope by turning

to fleeting remedies like distractions, alcohol, Xanax or other

prescription medication, and deliberate ignorance. All of which

inevitably leads back to apathy.

Instead of identifying and fighting the problem at the source, our

“quick-fix” mindset bleeds in, and we choose medications over

maturation, duct taping the leaky pipe rather than taking the

time to weld it shut.

We have reduced a faith that requires all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to a background self-help strategy; something that we retreat to when we feel anxiety, trying our best to keep our lives the way they are yet still reap the benefits that our pastor told us about.

We’ve become numb toward the wellbeing of our world both

ethically and environmentally, our own lives and purpose, and

other human beings. We are addicted to the self-medications that distract us, letting instant gratification trump long-term

progress. We choose momentary pleasures and relief over long-

term psychological and emotional growth. We choose selfishness over community. We feel connected by our phones and social

media, but are more disconnected than ever. Hyper-individualism

reigns; the true essence of biblical community has been gone for

ages. It often appears that the only option to cope with pain

is to numb ourselves to the brokenness around us. Whether

it’s by avoiding the full truth of our reality, painful emotions,

circumstances, anxieties, and even our responsibilities, we seek

out and find ways to blot out the pain. It should come as no

surprise that, as a result of this behavior, we become numb or

passive to the call that Jesus places in our lives. And in a faith

that requires all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, this

mindset becomes exponentially toxic.