Spiritually Apathetic? When You Drift, You Don’t Drift Alone

Arnie and the BTTB Team
Oct 13
3 min read

It’s easy to tell ourselves: “I know I’m not where I should be spiritually—but it’s just between me

Spiritually Apathetic? When You Drift, You Don’t Drift Alone

and God. I’m not hurting anyone else.”

That sounds reasonable. Even humble. But it’s not true.

The truth is: spiritual drift never stays private. When you grow distant from Christ—when you let sin fester or let your love for Him grow cold—it always affects more than just you.

Your spiritual condition influences the people around you more than you realize. Whether you're a parent, a friend, a mentor, or simply someone another Christian looks up to, your walk with Christ sends ripples through the lives of others—for better or for worse.

The Slow Drift from First Love

Every Christian goes through dry seasons. Life gets busy. Habits slip. Prayer fades. Scripture reading becomes rare. At first, it doesn’t feel dramatic. Nothing “bad” seems to happen.

But little by little, a slow drift takes place. Your sensitivity to the Spirit dulls. Your priorities shift.

And what once stirred your heart for Jesus now feels like background noise.

The church in Ephesus knew what this was like. Jesus commended their hard work and discernment. But then, he gave a chilling rebuke:

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev. 2:4).

They hadn’t fallen into heresy. They hadn’t walked away from the church. But their hearts had cooled. And Jesus took it seriously.

Why? Because spiritual apathy is not neutral. It’s dangerous. And the longer we remain in it, the more others are affected.

Hidden Sin, Visible Impact

Sometimes spiritual lethargy goes beyond forgetfulness. Sometimes it’s about the quiet sins we nurse in the dark—bitterness, lust, gossip, dishonesty, self-indulgence. We keep them hidden and tell ourselves no one else is getting hurt.

But that’s not how sin works.

In the book of Joshua, a man named Achan stole items that God had forbidden. No one else knew. But when Israel went into battle, they lost badly. Why? Because of Achan’s private disobedience.

“Israel has sinned… They have taken some of the devoted things” (Josh. 7:11).

One man’s hidden sin disrupted an entire community.

That may sound extreme. But it’s a sobering reminder: our private choices shape our public witness. They affect our families, our churches, our credibility, and even our children’s view of God.

What’s at Stake When We Don’t Show Up Spiritually

When we coast spiritually, here’s what we lose—and what others lose with us:

Our prayers weaken.
When we stop praying, we stop standing in the gap for others.
Our example fades.
People who once looked to us for guidance or strength lose a model of faithful living.
Our presence diminishes.
We withdraw from church, small group, or spiritual conversations—and our absence leaves a hole.
Our light dims.
We miss chances to reflect Christ’s love to a world in desperate need of it.

Whether we admit it or not, people are watching. Kids are watching. Friends are watching.

Younger believers are watching.

They don’t need perfect Christians. But they need faithful ones.

You Can Start Again—Today

The good news is that Christ doesn’t turn away from drifting hearts. He invites them back.

After rebuking the Ephesian church for losing their first love, Jesus gave them a path forward:

“Remember… repent… and do the works you did at first” (Rev. 2:5).

Remember what it felt like to walk closely with Him. Repent—turn from what’s dulled your passion or clouded your focus. And return to the rhythms of grace: time in the Word, time in prayer, time with God’s people.

You don’t have to fix everything at once. You just have to take the next faithful step.