Everyone struggles with different things in their relationship with God. For me, it’s the problem of complacency. I have a hard time with any sort of unpleasant emotion, or exerting too much energy or effort, and being complacent allows me to avoid all of those things.
But Christian complacency is a dangerous place to be. It might feel comfy and cozy for the moment, but that comfort is actually a crafty disguise for a numbness to growth and conviction.
There is no doubt about it, it is extremely uncomfortable to step out in faith. Nobody likes being called to the carpet on a sinful activity or mindset. And it is incredibly inconvenient to have to find time for God each day.
But if we avoid these things, we cannot have a healthy relationship with Christ. And if we don’t have a health relationship with Christ, He will not acknowledge us on the day of judgement. This is documented in His letter to the church of Laodocia in Revelations:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelations 3:15-16
What does it say about complacency in the Bible?
Unfortunately, nothing in life comes without a little effort. In any relationship, the more you pursue the other, the closer you’ll be to them. It is no different with the Lord. The Bible is very clear to this point.
You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. Isaiah 32:9-10
If you do nothing but sit at home, not lifting a finger to provide income or food for your family, they will not be fed! The same is for your spiritual walk.
How to Fight Complacency
1. Read God’s Word Daily
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8
The more we make an effort daily to spend time getting to know Him, the closer to Him we become. The closer to Him we become, the more sensitive we become to His voice. The more sensitive we become to His voice, the more ready we are to listen and to obey.
Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Psalm 119:1
For ideas on how to spend time in God’s word each day, read the blog post 30 Unique Bible Study Methods.
2. Spend Time in Prayer Daily
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Talking to God is important. If we merely read His word without talking to Him about it, we gain only knowledge of Him and miss out on the relationship. This should not be something that is saved for a crisis, or when we need something, but should be as constant as breathing.
Consistently talking to God also creates a mind of watchfulness as well. The more we pray, the more aware we are of God in our lives, the more answered prayers we see, and the more blessings we experience. Through this, we become truly mindful of His truth and protection.
For more on praying daily, read the blog post Joy in Prayer? But It’s So Boring!!!
3. Step Out of your Comfort Zone in Obedience
This is the tough one. If you want to see God work in your life, you need to be willing to be uncomfortable in Him. This is where the miracles happen. This is where His blessings are abundant.
When we are spiritually complacent, we become blind to God working around us. And He is doing so much!!!
So how do we become uncomfortable in Him? We obey. When God asks you to do something, you do it!! No matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel. Because when we obey, good things happen.
“‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land… I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.’” Leviticus 26:3-5, 9-12
In one of the video sessions for her Bible study, Gideon, Priscilla Shirer talks about the blessings of not being in a complacent mindset. She says that you see God move when you put yourself in positions to see Him move.
If we are not sensitive to His voice, if we are not communicating with Him on a regular basis, and if we are not stepping out of our comfort zones in obedience to Him, we will not be in a position to see Him move. We will miss it. To me, there is no greater detriment to my faith than to miss the work of God.
