Complacent Christianity in the Last Days of the Church
by Joel Krooswyk
Chapter Two
- Examples of Complacency -
So, what exactly is complacency? Complacency in a Christian context cannot be identified as a single item. It is a sin that permeates your entire lifestyle. Looking at some examples may help identify complacency in your own life. Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word "complacency" as:
"Quiet satisfaction, contentment; often specifically, self-satisfaction or smugness."
So, the complacent Christian can be defined as a Christian individual who is smugly self-satisfied and content in their Christian walk of faith. When you read it that way, it is far easier to see the sin of complacency. It shows a personal satisfaction in your walk with Christ. Is it really up to you though? Are you meeting God's standards or just your own? If this description above sounds like you, this is where you need to start exploring. Let's look at some common examples of complacency.
The American dream seems to read like this: get married, find a nice house, get a nice car or two, have 2.3 kids (or so), and live happily ever after. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. I'm following that dream somewhat myself. However, along the road of life, what we do each day is crucial to the enjoyment you will derive from life itself. I'm speaking of real, fulfilling, life-consuming joy. You won't find that kind of joy in a complacent lifestyle.
Allow me to ask you - how important is your tithe? God asks for ten percent of your income - the first ten percent. Was a new boat or a big screen TV more important than your tithe last month? Do you honestly give God your first ten percent of your income?
Millions of Americans are living well beyond their means, deep in debt. I've heard these people referred to as those "living on credit". I have serious doubts that these people are placing God first in their daily lives. They are too busy trying to dig out from under that mountain of debt they have created! It's so easy to put the mortgage, car payments, telephone bill, and insurance payments before that check to the church. It's much easier to pay the immediate bills and give some leftover money to the church. This displeases God! Think about Cain and Abel. Way back at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 4, Cain didn't give his best and first ten percent to God. God frowned on Cain's offering and rebuked him. How much more will our small donations be frowned on by God, as we have that story and many others like it to tell us the importance of God's request for our tithe! He asks for our first ten percent. He promises rich blessings to those who comply, and He will bless you richly. Make the right decision! Don't pass up God's rich blessings upon your life in order to live that "little bit better" life with that few extra dollars you keep. It's not worth it!
God convicted me of this sin in particular. He convinced me that my attempts to give money to the church were futile, at best. My gifts were far from the first ten percent He required. If you struggle with this as I did, allow me to present one possible solution to get you on your way. Open an account just for God at your local bank. Have ten percent of your pay automatically deposited into that account if you can. This will force the separation of ten percent of your income into that account, which you can then give to the church and to those in need! If you do not have an automatic deposit system available, you can calculate ten percent of your income and have it separated and deposited by the bank teller into that other account each pay period.
Complacency is related to far more than just financial issues however. It is a sin that can permeate every area of your life and every fiber of your being.
Another sign of complacency is a fear of telling others about God, both verbally and otherwise. Jesus told us that we, as His disciples, are to go out into the world to make disciples of all men. Complacent Christians will often overlook this command in favor of the easier lifestyle. It's so much easier for us if we just set the cruise control to go along with the rest of the world. How many individuals have you personally talked to about Jesus Christ in an effort to bring them to the Lord? Have you invited anyone from outside the church to join you there lately? Have you ever tried that? The complacent Christian will avoid inviting others because this can create a confrontation of some kind. The complacent Christian would more likely go for a few drinks after work to fit in with the group, and never once would he or she mention God.
Complacency can also affect your language. God's name is taken in vain millions of times every single day. The complacent Christian may not even notice this happening around them! Frequently, these Christians are taking God's name in vain along with the rest of the world without even thinking about it. This violates the second commandment of the great 10 Commandments given to Moses and the Israelites long ago. Obviously, God places great importance on this issue! Flipping through the channels on the television or walking down the street with this in mind will immediately convince you of the pervasiveness of sin in the world today. God must be sincerely disappointed that we are frequently so blind and naive to the violation of His commands. Have you taken God's name in vain today? Uttering "Oh my God!" in surprise to something or murmuring "Jesus Christ!" when you hurt your hand are both prime examples of this sin. These are the names of God, which are above all names! These exclamations are a far cry from the prayer which you may begin with "Dear God" or "O God"!
A complacent life is often characterized by a lack of good works as well. Sunday rolls around and we head off to church, we go through the routine, we hear the pastor teach, and we return home, where we promptly forget all that was said during the church service. The rest of the week may be lived with little or no thought of God. We may have a habit of praying before meals or at bedtime, but all this may just be part of our routine.
At bedtime, many Christians actually fall asleep while laying in bed praying. What kind of prayer is being offered to God at that point? Sincerity is obviously lacking! When speaking with the Creator of the universe, we need to show some respect! I've found that falling to my knees each night beside my bed quickly solves the insincere prayer issue. If you find yourself looking at the ceiling and praying in bed at night, hardly able to keep from drifting off to sleep, I urge you to get up! Fall on your knees at the foot of your bed or in another quiet place, bowing your head, asking God to help you become closer to Him.
Talking with God throughout the day makes every day a better day. God relieves your worries, carries your burdens, and loves to receive your brief thanks and praise. God knows your heart, so be honest with Him. Don't just go through the motions. Don't just try to meet a schedule with God and don't attempt to "will" yourself into a better relationship with Him. Our omniscient God can see through all that. He knows these attempts are not heart-felt.
If something is weighing heavy on your mind some day, take it to the Lord right then and there, no matter where you are. His help will make any situation a better one.
I've discovered a great way to start the day. I start off my day by offering a short prayer, placing my day and its occurrences in God's hands. I also ask for His help throughout the day, and I open myself up to anything God might want to tell me directly. Give God the opportunity and he will use it. If you try to tackle all life's problems without God's help, you will always have more stress and more complications. I've found that problems get a lot easier to tackle once I present them to God and ask for His assistance. Lift your burdens to the Lord, and He will carry them for you.
Complacency takes so many forms! It's hard sometimes to identify it. Let's address your free time. Do you have an excessive fascination with the television or movies? Do you not have much free time because of excessive work hours? Do you have a specific hobby, such as boating or working on the house, that takes up all of your available free time?
If you don't take sufficient time for God and for being with God's people regularly, you most likely won't be able to grow in Christ and you won't become a fully devoted follower of Him. This is not an easy thing for the complacent Christian to address. He or she may have to give up an addiction of watching sporting events on television, going to a club, going shopping, or working on the house constantly. This is hard to address because these items are very enjoyable for the person. In moderation, these things are just fine, but they can consume you and all your free time if you allow them.
My life has been enriched since I identified what takes up my spare time. I have reduced my television watching and movie time significantly. There's not much good on TV anyway! I have also reduced the amount of time and money I put into my home, my lawn, and my cars. I have reduced the amount of time I spend at work by moving to a position that requires fewer hours. I have filled in that time with volunteering at my church, quality time with my wife, getting together with friends and family, and other opportunities to serve others. I also have allowed more time for reading the Bible and Christian books, as well as more communication time with God. I am not telling you these things to brag or boast or to be pious in any way. I simply used this illustration to show you that God has reshaped my life. He is waiting to do the same for you, if you will only allow Him.
One thing that is very important to realize is that you need to give God a chance to change you before God does His work. He will change your life for the better and give you fulfillment that you can never know on your own. It is the greatest feeling you can have! Growing in God is very exciting, but you must first devote yourself fully to Him. Then you can start to grow. Be open to His calling and get ready for change.
Lastly, let me address how people sometimes "classify" themselves as Christians. Some people think they are intellectual or emotional followers of Christ. This simply means that they do not see the whole of Christ in their life yet. Intellectual Christians know God's laws but often don't know God personally. They know about God, but there is so much more to knowing Him. Emotional Christians may claim a close, personal relationship with God, but they may neglect many of His commands. A fully devoted follower of Christ must address both the intellectual and emotional properties of Christianity. Most important is that you ask God to help you get the right mixture of Christian characteristics so that you can be an effective Christian and a good witness to others.
Be sure to note that there are many, many examples of complacency, which I won't take the time to address. We'd be reading examples for months! Ask God to help you identify points of complacency in your life. If you are serious about finding these points, God will show you which areas need attention.
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