i dont care about the lost like i should

i think this is the first topic i ever started. i made a statement on another thread that i dont care about the lost like i should. this is not a boast, but sadly it is a fact. can others admit 2 this too, and what can we do about this?

pls notice i said i dont care about the lost LIKE I SHOULD. certainly i care that people die and go to hell daily. but not like i should. i do not have the agonizing burden that i read about that others have had. why?

Neither do I brother. I care, but not like I should.

I personally believe God has not given me burden for the lost of this world. I don't believe each one should care equally for the lost in this world. That does not mean I don't have any burden at all. Here is my preference.

1. I have burden in my heart for my household to serve the God. I want to say like how Joshua said,
Joshua 24-15:If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I want kingdom of God to come to my house first.

2. I have burden for the fellowship in which God has put me in. I want to encourage people in this fellowship as long as it is today so that none of them will be lost to deceitfulness of Sin.

I want kingdom of God in my fellowship.

3. I have burden for my parents and siblings who are not saved yet and are living as pagans. I pray everyday that God will give me an opportunity to witness Christ before them.

I have friends who have this burden for Lost in the world. I respect them and try my best to help them. Personally I do not find it as my burden.

thats interesting sree, thank u 4 sharing that. interesting to think about. sum believers seem 2 look down on others who do not share the same level of zeal. like those who seem 2 think if u r not tortured 4 ur faith then u are not a true believer.

SG -

Glad to see this thread opened. I look forward to reading comments by others on the matter. I think we should also remember many called preachers are not burdened to Pastor but to evangelize, and many Pastors are not burdened to evangelize beyond their pastorship. (apart from the day to day witnessing, etc.) Likewise we as born again believers are not all burdened in the same areas to the same extent. As stated I too lack this deep seated burden you describe. Then again, if any one of use truly believed God's word as we claim, I think we would never get off our knees. What a mess is man.

I'll post the same quote here that I did on the other thread:

"Besides, most Christians nowadays don't believe in the Hell of eternal conscious torment. Not really. This is clearly evidenced by the way they live and the priorities they set in their lives. If one is truly convinced that, for most people, a short span on earth is followed by an eternity of misery, then surely one would spend every waking hour, every penny and every ounce of energy trying to save people from it. I think most Christians who claim to believe in the traditional concept of Hell suffer from a form of cognitive dissonance which forces them to tune out and turn away from any lingering thoughts on the fate of most of their fellow humans; the people they rub shoulders with and work with and live with. Those who are unable to compartmentalize the doctrine of Hell become wild-eyed street preachers or suffer nervous breakdowns."

thats interesting sree, thank u 4 sharing that. interesting to think about. sum believers seem 2 look down on others who do not share the same level of zeal. like those who seem 2 think if u r not tortured 4 ur faith then u are not a true believer.

I agree with people looking down on those whom they think are not doing enough for the lost. But I used to struggle, I myself looking down on me and thinking that I am not doing enough. Many times I used to be tempted to quit the job and join my street preacher friend. It caused kind of unrest in me. Then one of the illustration that I heard from Brother Zac Poonen helped me a lot.

Imagine the heaven do we think the angels there will be flying around here and there each saying to one another do this for God, do that for God etc. No they are always waiting to hear from God for a command. The moment God commands Gabriel to go and do a task he does immediately. He comes back again waiting for another command. There is no unrest here. God is not rating them saying you could have done this for me etc. What he wants from them he commands them and gets it done.

I was once in a youth meeting for cooperate employees. One of the Guys there posted a question what if God wanted me to be in Africa and I am sitting here and working for this company. I told him, if God wanted you to be in Africa you will be there now. Nothing can stop you from doing his work. Instead look at things in this perspective, God has put you here in this company, what does he want from you here. Do that and please him.

I understand Skeptics' question/observation. I would also believe it is one most Believers will wrestle with. There is a tension between feeling like we are not doing enough and knowing we do not have deep emotion, sorrow for lost souls. And then there are family members who spurn the call of God on their lives. This puts one in deep grief. How much sorrow can a body stand emotionally?

Then there is this scripture: Hebrews 8:11: "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." (This is a quote from Jeremiah 31:34.)

Somehow, as I understand, meditate on this scripture, reflect on life, witnessing to people I find this to be so true. In all my years of counseling at a Crises Pregnancy Center, I have met only one person who seemed to be ignorant of God's will on her life - but then I suspected she had mental issues. People do know - at least they do in this part of the state of Missippi. People are not ignorant - they are just stubborn and enjoy the self-life too much. To change that requires a super-natural intervention of the Holy Spirit. Humans cannot facilitate that.

My understanding....

by SkepticGuy on 2013/2/8 2:34:49

i think this is the first topic i ever started. i made a statement on another thread that i dont care about the lost like i should. this is not a boast, but sadly it is a fact. can others admit 2 this too, and what can we do about this?

pls notice i said i dont care about the lost LIKE I SHOULD. certainly i care that people die and go to hell daily. but not like i should. i do not have the agonizing burden that i read about that others have had. why?

__________

Greetings again S.G.

There was a time when I struggled with the lack of love for the lost in my own walk. I did not care about others as I knew HE would want me to. I believe deep down the root of this sin in my own life was selfishness on my part. I use to talk about wanting to see others saved but there was not action behind it, no prayer for the lost and no real desire to extend myself to other people in any kind of real or meaningful way. This troubled me and as I prayed about this and asked GOD to show me these things I felt very convicted for my lack of love and attitudes in my heart. I have since prayed often for FATHER to give me HIS heart, to help me have the desire to care for others, to learn what it means to be a servant and to spend time in praying for those who are lost and deceived in their sins. Perhaps seeing so many natural disasters happen and realizing that life truly is so short, and we never really know when another might be called to stand before the LORD gave me greater need to pause and consider. I also read this really impacting teaching from another brother about the realities of hell and it just really touched my heart. Knowing that the LORD came to save us and HIS desire is that none should perish was something I really just connected with...HE is deserving of HIS reward, HE came, suffered and died for the lost so that non would perish so it just seems to make sense as HIS servant that should be on my heart too...:)

Great question, interesting topic to be sure. Thank you for sharing.

God bless
maryjane

Very good points, everyone.

When I was in school, we had to watch the film Schindler's List. It was a movie about the holocaust and how a Austrian-German businessman, Oskar Schindler, saved the lives of over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. The film is very graphic depiction of the horrific events during that time in history. It is difficult to watch...and many of the haunting images are almost impossible to erase from your mind.

At the end of the film, there is a scene in which the war is coming to a close. Oskar Schindler is about to go into hiding. Many of the Jews that he saved gather to bid him farewell. They present him with a ring and a note signed by those that he saved.

Schindler is deeply moved by this act. However, the realization of what he did is pressing -- particularly the fact that he could have done so much more! He points to his car and pin, saying that the money could have been used to save others.

I know that many will not think that this is a very "spiritual" anecdote, but I think that this sentiment speaks truth in spiritual matters too.

When we all stand before God on that Day, will the realization of how we could have helped others overwhelm us? Will the people that we encountered in life point at us and wonder why we never told them the truth? Even if we didn't "preach," did we live our lives in a manner that made us a Living Epistle that drew men TO our Lord or turned them away?

In one of my favorite messages here on SermonIndex ("Holy Ground" by David Wilkerson), we are struck by the realization of our great potential in this life -- for good or evil. We can draw men to Christ or be a stumbling block that turns them away. How dreadful to think of the responsibility for which we are entrusted! Keith Green used to say that this generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls. How true that is!

I agree with sister Ginnyrose that no one will ultimately be without excuse. After all, "the Heavens declare the glory of God." I have met an indigenous pastor from the Tarahumara tribe deep within the rugged, pine-covered mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Chihuahua, Mexico who came to Christ without ever having heard from or met another Christian. So, someone can find the Truth via the measure of faith planted within him.

Still, there is a great responsibility that we have to the people of this world. I can't help but think of the Parable of the Talents -- and how we will be called into account for all of the "talents" (or opportunities) that we have been given.

May God help us to share the Good News with those around us!

A testimony...

Presently we are having special meetings at our church. The speaker has a passion for the LORD and by extension other people.

Wednesday night he talked of hell, how it is a bottomless pit with people falling, weeping, gnashing of teeth, wishing for a drop of water...the mental picture is just awful, no, it is agonizing. And to think we have a couple children who will suffer this fate unless there is repentance.

During testimony time, I shared our concern...prayer was had for this situation. Later in the evening I felt compelled to call son #4. It was late, but the urgency was there. He answered...I spoke haltingly, told him we are having meetings at church...I feel so concerned for him, wishing he would turn his life over to the LORD Jesus..."Mom" he said, "Do not worry about me, OK?" End of conversation.

There you go...

It is no fun to be a parent of prodigals.