It doesn't take much, it doesn't take long, for most of us to reach that point. The prophets urge you to make a difference, while the apocalyptics tell you only God can make a difference. For the most part, the New Testament is apocalyptic in its view, and believes less in progress than an abrupt end to all this nonsense. But both of these believe history has a goal which is hopeful, which belongs to God. Actually, we need both points of view to stay balanced, for prophets work hard within history for social change but are usually frustrated by how slow the progress is, while apocalypticists tend to give up on change altogether and just wait for God to do something beyond history.
Prophets tend to be over-responsible while apocalyptics tend to be passive.
But we can afford neither to place all our hopes in human achievement nor to drop out and give up on establishing justice and equity and peace in our world, in our time. For the next several weeks we will be hearing some apocalyptic texts encouraging us not to give up on God, no matter how bad things may seem. We will be hearing some of the poignant expectation of Jesus' imminent return to establish God's dominion once for all and some of the disappointment and readjustment of expectations when he did not return quickly as expected. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.