Arise! Rise up from the seat of complacency!

Are you sitting in the seat of complacency? It’s time you arise. (Amos 6:1; Isaiah 32:9)

It is very unfortunate that complacency is sweeping across the churches and among Christians these days. Bible warns believers against being complacent.

1. Complacency deafens our ears to the voice and calling of God.

Matthew 22:5

But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business

In this parable, the people had a great and an honorable invitation before them. They were invited by the king for the wedding banquet of his son. The dinner was ready. The oxen and fattened cattle were butchered for them. But the invitees couldn’t understand the greatness of their calling. Their ears were deafened and they were happy to carry on with their own chores in life. The ones who had work in farm went to the farm; the other went to his business. Pathetically, there were others who mistreated the servants who were sent to invite them and they killed the servants.

Many times, when we remain complacent, we too become deaf to the voice and calling of God. We are happy to carry on with our own duties and chores that we hardly have time to even listen to what God might want to speak to us.

2. Complacency gives a false sense of security.

Luke 12:19

And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

In Luke 12, Jesus tells this parable of a rich man. This man seemed to be prosperous in all that he did. His ground yielded an abundant harvest – so abundant that he had no place to store them. He thought of reconstructing his barn so that he could store these plenty of grains. And he remained satisfied with that! He never wanted more in life. His soul had no thirst for God. All that he could say to his soul was, “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

The abundance of his riches gave him a false sense of security. He couldn't find his security in God.

Just like this rich fool, today we live in a materialistic world. We resort to malls, gadgets or other things to heal our broken hearts. We are unconsciously drawn to a false sense of security. Our thirst for God gradually dries down.

Jesus calls this materialistic person in this parable as a fool. Contentment does not come with abundance of things we possess but from Christ. That’s why Jesus tells in Luke 12:33, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

3. Complacent people cannot see the true state of themselves.

Jesus condemned the church at Laodicea for being complacent. He says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…” Revelation 3:16-17.

They thought they were rich, wealthy and had no need of anything, but in reality they were poor, wretched and miserable.

Complacent people can never see the true state of themselves. Just like the Laodiceans, they think they are indeed rich in spirit, know the Word perfectly and have no further need of anything. But in reality, they are spiritually poor and miserable.

That is why Paul warns the church at Corinth, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12