Welcome to this episode of Perspective For Today.
Lately I’ve been waiting till the end of the week to start this podcast. It hasn’t been getting the attention it deserves. I don’t want to become complacent with this ministry. So today is my wake-up call.
I need to push myself outside of my comfortable little box and deliver messages that have depth and continue to have relevance to my listeners. Today’s episode is going to deal with the subject of complacency.
Complacency takes place when we start getting comfortable with who we are in Christ.
We tend to just go through the motions like we’re on autopilot. It’s hard for me to write this because it causes me to look at myself and my relationship with Jesus.
I want to justify my relationship with Him. I start my day alone with my Lord and Savior. Then I have devotions with my wife. I read my Bible. I pray, I serve my community. But has it all become too routine? Have I lost my zeal for Christ? Is he still my first love?
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? 23 And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
We all need to take a pause and reflect on the passion with which we live our lives for Christ.
Have we become stagnant and complacent in our faith? Has it become more ritualized and less personalized? These are hard questions and they deserve our full attention. Otherwise our faith will slowly be eroded away.
What we really need is a wake up call.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments. His praise endureth forever.
We need to put God in his rightful place.
Once we give God the reverence that He so richly deserves, then and only then can we have a more vibrant relationship with Him.
Spiritual complacency is when we become self-sufficient.
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
We don’t go beyond what we think we are capable of.
But we are held to a higher standard. We are to be conformed to the image of Christ. There is nothing laid back about that. You can’t be conformed to that image if you are not actively pursuing Him with all your heart, soul and mind.
Our relationship with our Lord and Savior is not limited to our prayer closet.
We are called to share the love of God. Our love of the Savior is not something we hoard for ourselves. We need to be proactive in reaching out to others. Not just sitting idly by waiting for someone else to do it.
1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
We should never feel comfortable in this world.
This world is not our home. When we start giving more attention to our jobs, social activities, sports and hobbies we are being complacent with our first love, Jesus. Everything on this side of heaven is temporary. We should never lose sight of what truly matters.
Revelation 2:4-5 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
There are many Christians who live like forgiveness of sins is a one time thing.
We need to be honest with ourselves and confess our sin and repent as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts us of it. If we become complacent with sin, that conviction that we felt will slowly die out.
Psalm 32:1-7 is a beautiful example of how we should deal with sin when it enters our lives.
Psalms 32:1-7 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
Complacency is like a lazy meandering river.
We just lay back and enjoy the ride, as we float gently down the stream. We don’t try to go against the current, we just go with the flow. Life is good, until we get to the end and the raging waterfalls pull us under and leave us battered and broken. Don’t let the river of complacency lead you into a false sense of security. Be proactive and go against the current, give your all for Jesus. Anything less will leave you battered and broken.