The Consequences of Complacency
Posted in Daily Focus on Saturday, May 10, 2014
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind" (Luke 10:27b).
Complacency was creeping into our homeschooling, and my son's attitude toward his math was growing more apathetic. Realizing he would never finish his entire curriculum by the end of the school year, he decided to face the problem with an "I don't care" outlook. Walking past his room one day I heard him say, "I'll be glad when school's done next week. Then, I won't have to think about geometry anymore."
"Wrong," I thought to myself. "You're not getting off the hook that easily!" As Memorial Day approached, my son saw the green lights of summer flashing before his eyes. However, what he failed to notice was the stop sign in my hand called summer school. With workbook in hand, I informed him that school was still in session. Each day we would be completing two lessons in math until his work was finished.
Complacent Christians are of no use to the Lord. Weighed down by sins or entangled in the affairs of the world, their effectiveness for Christ is nullified. Allowing Satan to lure them to sleep, they no longer have the passionate fire for serving Christ. Assured of salvation and wanting only enough of God to get by, they live life to please themselves rather than to serve God. In Revelation, God clearly states His feeling about lukewarm Christians: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).
Has complacency wrapped its ugly fingers around your heart? If you haven't felt a burden for the lost, gone to church, or even spent time in prayer and Bible study for ages, chances are good that your fire is almost out. Before "I don't care" becomes a permanent part of your spiritual vocabulary, heed God's warning and let the Holy Spirit fill you anew. "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:22-23).
Lord, forgive me for letting the things of this world take precedence over my love and devotion to You. Rekindle my love and expose those things that have taken me away from You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Comments(9 comments)
YVETTE T 05/10/2009 00:45:21
I am glad I read this devotion today. Complacency does creep in our lives, as it has crept into mine. I pray for forgiveness and with each new day that the Lord gives me, work on rekindling my love for the Lord and that spark return once again.
CORY M 05/11/2010 05:32:53
This is a great devotion that I often need to hear in order to not let the cares of this world overtake me
RACHEL M 05/11/2010 09:05:51
Wow, why am I always amazed by God's perfect timing? This was exactly the word I needed. Though things haven't gotten too far yet, I can see where complacency has been creeping in. Thank you so much for these devotions!
EILEEN M 05/11/2010 11:28:01
Which Math curriculum were you using and for how long a duration did your son do two lessons a day? How many children did you homeschool at the time. Remember that drilling a child in two lessons of Math per day may be beneficial for your son but may be detrimental to other children's abilities. Homeschoolers who put God as the priority usually do not get complacent toward their work because Christ guides their efforts! Remember, there is virtue found in all our daily tasks and activities when Christ is central to our undertakings.
SELENA W 05/11/2011 07:19:47
Thanks you for this! I get these and never have time to read them... this is the first one I made time to read and the timing was perfect... Thanks again.
TINA R 05/11/2011 07:30:01
I think as homeschoolers, humans, flesh and blood, we do become complacent at times. What a valuable lesson your son must have learned through your steadfast teaching.
MAYA T 05/11/2011 08:13:13
I loved the lesson you taught your son! I think it was so valuable and so loving. I think that in life we are all on journeys. I know I am on one. I can relate to this story so much. When I feel that I am ready to be done with this one and start a "new one" into something else, the Lord will gently look at me and say, "you are not finished with this one over here." I have to finish what i have started in order to begin something else or then i will have incomplete projects everywhere. I believe that is one of the fruits of complacency. Incompleteness. Finishing is completing.
Again, wonderful story! I truly was blessed by it. And again, I can see a loving Jesus or a loving mother standing there with a child saying, you have to finish. And that is not out of punishment. We may feel like it is punishment because it is something that we don't want to do, but we all know on this end it is because it is best for us in the long run. Don't you love a God who sees the better plan? Jeremiah 29:11, plans not to harm us...
OLIVIA S 05/14/2011 04:24:43
Thank You so Much, I am complacent all the time, not knowing that I was so caught up in this world rather than focusing on God and thinking that school is an act of praise and worship and it is a gift because there are kids, teens around the world who don't even go to school :(. I should act now, thanks again, it's like the Holy Spirit sharpened my thoughts and actions, I'm more focused and I seriously don't want to be a person God can't use.
KATHY S 05/11/2012 12:36:20
We too will be having a summer school day a week.
Sadly, my son has to do this because I\'ve been injured, sick and had heart surgery last week.
So, I do feel like I\'m punishing him, because of my illnesses. This has been a horrible health year for me. I really pray that the Doctor\'s have fixed me and we can resume our Happy Homeschooling days back at the library, at home, at the \"Y\" for his gym class.
God always has a plan.
I know one thing my son and I have both really picked up from all this, and it is to pray, pray alot, pray all through the day. It is really important!!!
I hope when I heal, I can be more useful for the Lord.