One thing that we need to constantly guard against in our lives is complacency.
Complacency is becoming tolerant or overly-comfortable with the way things are. It’s about being too much at ease and in a state of stagnation, refusing to advance or move on. It is about mediocrity, which is the tendency to settle for ‘average’.
If we are not careful, an inappropriate casualness can settle into our spirit and passion for life disappears. We drift into complacency, indifference, apathy, and eventually hopelessness.
Complacency sometimes occurs because we have no purpose beyond ourselves. The resulting selfishness can lead to a loss of vision for our life. We end up living unmotivated lives, just marking time, just getting through another day, existing but not really living.
If you feel yourself starting to drift into complacency, stir yourself up. Shake yourself. Wake up! Open your eyes. Look around you. Find a need and begin to meet it. Start to live … beyond yourself. Make a positive difference in someone else’s life. Make your world a better place.
Someone once said that lukewarness is ‘serving God in such a way as to not offend the devil!’ Don’t be lukewarm – be the devil’s worst nightmare!
Be a pioneer, not a settler. Don’t retire, re-fire! Live a life of passionate purpose.
Complacency … Think about it.
Thanks Mark for this message. It’s an excellent reminder to us all to stir up the passion within us to serve God.
If it had not been for the passion of William Wilberforce to abolish slave labour it would still be operating.
One huge need we have is for Christians to take an active role in ensuring that the laws of our country establish God’s will.
There are many passionate people in Australia who want to change our laws to allow ungodly laws to be established eg decriminalisation of abortion, euthanasia, legalisaton of homosexual marriages, etc.
I was just reading a letter written by a priest in London who said that he regrets allowing abortion being legalised because now they have over 200,000 babies being aborted eash year. (Many as a form of contraception) He also regrets allowing the homosexual lifestyle being legalised because now Christians are in fear of being charged with disrimination against homosexuals if they will not employ homosexuals in the ministry or they speak out against homosexuality.
There are a few bills which Victorian MP’s are wanting to introduce in the near future ie the legalisation of euthanasia and the legalisation of abortion.
We cannot afford to be complacent in making an impact on the law making of our country. If we do those who are passionate for ungoldliness to be established will be successful.
Mark, as usual an excellent piece. A reminder most timely. Andrea’s comment shows that she at least is aware of the role we can play in influencing our society for the better through encouraging Government to act responsibly. The law has a role in restraining, educating and even leading our nation. Interesting to note that Wilberfoce brought change about first in an administrative way to limit slavery while working at another level to bring public opinion onboard, this took 40 years before the final law banning slavery was enacted.