There is a resurgence of an old variant—the sin of mediocrity, or apathy-itis. Beware—it may have already “infected” you.

Vaccines won’t prevent it. Masks won’t keep it away. No amount of sanitizer can ward it off. Medicine cannot ease its symptoms. Neither the CDC nor the Health Department can trace its spread.

But there is a treatment. Read to the end.

In a real sense, it surfaces with an “I’m okay with being okay” attitude. I remember telling our children, “It’s a sin to do less than your best.” Teachers would drill that mantra into students to ward off the satisfaction of just doing enough to get by. I would submit for your perusal that Christians are not really convinced to strive for excellence, as we are commanded (Phil. 1:10), or to receive the crowns awarded in the Bible. Some will stand before the Lord with nothing to lay back at His feet, and they will be complacent with nothing to offer. 

The Sin of Mediocrity

The phrase “the sin of mediocrity” is not a specific term found in Scripture, but the idea behind it is clearly addressed throughout the Bible. Biblically, it refers to a half-hearted, indifferent, or complacent approach to God and His will—living without wholehearted devotion.

Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, coined the phrase, “Good is the enemy of great.” The overall application of that phrase is that settling for what is merely good often prevents us from striving for and achieving true excellence. In other words, comfort with “good enough” can quietly block the pursuit of something far better.

What Are the Symptoms?

1. Lukewarm Faith (Spiritual Indifference)

One of the clearest expressions of this idea is found in Revelation:

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm… I will spew you out of my mouth.”
(Revelation 3:15–16, ESV)

Mediocrity in the Christian life is often lukewarmness—a lack of passion, conviction, and commitment to Christ.

2. Failing to Love God Wholeheartedly

God does not call for partial or token devotion:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
(Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV)

Mediocrity is a failure to give God our best, settling instead for minimal effort or divided loyalty.

3. Neglecting What We Know Is Right

Mediocrity can also take the form of passive disobedience:

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
(James 4:17, ESV)

It’s not always outright rebellion—it’s often doing less than we should, choosing a less confrontational or challenging route, even though we know we could pursue God more fully.

4. Burying God-Given Gifts

In the Parable of the Talents, the servant who did nothing with what he was given was rebuked:

“You wicked and slothful servant!”
(Matthew 25:26, ESV)

Mediocrity wastes opportunity—it is unfaithfulness or frivolity with what God has entrusted to us.

5. Lack of Zeal and Diligence

The Christian life is meant to be marked by intentional effort:

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”
(Romans 12:11, ESV)

Mediocrity replaces zeal with comfort and urgency with apathy.

In an era where everyone wins a trophy regardless of effort, that attitude has slowly crept into our spiritual walk. In academia, students just want to pass the class. In spiritual growth, students in a Christian school are inundated with God's presence, integrated into everything from athletics and fine arts to classroom management. The phrase “familiarity breeds contempt” is evident in staggering statistics showing that 60-80% of graduates abandon their faith during the “college-age” years. I have often said to parents and students that “one of the easiest places to drift away from the Lord is in a Christian school,” where growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus are not a challenge—it becomes the norm, the thing to be and do. Delight and desire are soon replaced with duty.

In his article “Fighting Freshman Fallout,” Robert Witte, Vice President of Enrollment at Ozark Christian College, draws on his graduate research to identify key factors contributing to mediocrity among Christian students:

• new worldviews learned in their classes and from other students. 

• general apathy toward their church commitment, “the more you miss it, the less you miss it”. 

• underdeveloped spiritual habits like prayer and meditation. 

• temptation or guilt over sin.

A Real-Life Case Study

A few years ago, I spent time with a former Christian school administrator who had faithfully served in the same school for over 25 years. His school had once been a beacon of Christian education in New Jersey, producing many effective servants of God.

But then it happened.

The variant began to spread among school families. Its symptoms became visible. Enrollment steadily declined. Teachers began seeking positions elsewhere. Student involvement dropped.

The school board intervened. They sought professional help, hired a marketing organization, and conducted a strategic evaluation. They prayed, sacrificed, and prayed again.

After months of effort, the school closed its doors forever.

The Diagnosis

I asked the former administrator why the board ultimately decided to close. His answer was simple: “People just don’t care anymore.” Apathy-itus, mediocrity had taken root in their hearts.

A Growing Pandemic

This condition appears to be spreading everywhere—churches, homes, communities, and even personal lives.

Many no longer seem concerned about the influences shaping their children. Others appear indifferent to the moral direction of society. Even some Christians grow careless about their testimony, despite its impact on others.

It seems, in many places, people simply do not care anymore.

Not long ago, pulpits boldly proclaimed the importance of biblical education, and families made it a priority. While some still do, their number seems to be diminishing. In place of the focus of raising "godly children," a new objective has emerged: raising “good kids” who avoid contributing to society’s decline, or “successful kids” who obtain a strong education to secure well-paying careers. In some instances, it appears that if Christian schools removed Bible classes, chapels, and the integration of Scripture, many parents would still be satisfied—so long as their children received a competitive education.

A Personal Illustration

Have you ever owned a new car?

In the spring of 2005, we purchased a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer EXT with only 13 miles on it. We were thrilled. At first, we had a strict rule—no eating in the car. Our relatives thought we were extreme. Our teenage nephews didn’t even want to ride with us on vacation trips from New Jersey to Florida because snacks were banned!

But over time, that rule faded.

What we once strictly protected slowly gave way to apathy.

A Spiritual Parallel

Some approach Christian education the same way: “If it’s affordable, convenient, and doesn’t disrupt life too much, we’ll try it.” That sounds more like a test drive than a commitment. Like my initial commitment to preserving our new car’s integrity, good intentions often fade. Apathy-itis begins subtly in Christian education—with distancing and disengagement. As it progresses, small concerns grow into major excuses to justify intentional withdrawal.

The Cheetah Problem

Christians sometimes approach ministry like a cheetah hunts. A cheetah can sprint up to 70 miles per hour—but only briefly. Its small heart limits endurance. If it doesn’t catch its prey quickly, it must give up.

We often do the same.

We start strong, full of energy—but without purposeful endurance, we fade. We think the solution is to try harder next time, but what we truly need is not more speed—it’s more heart.

The Diagnosis and Treatment

Before treating apathy-itis, we must first examine ourselves. A sincere evaluation often reveals that we all have at least a mild case.

The most effective treatment is found in Scripture:

1. Remember Who Called You

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

When God calls, He equips. When He builds, He supplies. What He creates, He sustains.

2. Recommit to Your Calling

Colossians 1:10

“…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Ask God to restore your original passion. Sometimes, this simply requires reordering priorities. “If we are not as close to God as we once were, guess who moved?”

3. Renew Your Strength

Galatians 6:9

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Isaiah 40:31

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

God strengthens the weak and renews those who wait on Him. The victory is not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.

4. Run with Endurance

Hebrews 12:1–2

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Fix your eyes on Christ. Christianity is an eternal investment—one that brings lasting hope.

Look Up

Aren’t you thankful that God never becomes apathetic? Scripture reminds us to “cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

A dentist friend of mine ends his emails with a simple but powerful reminder: “Keep looking up.”

When we recognize the danger of apathy taking root in our hearts and our plateauing in our sensitivity to God’s will, may we accept that challenge—to keep looking up to the One who never stops caring for us.