How to Deal with Complacency
There was a Canada goose flying across the farm land of Kansas on a fall day. For what ever reason it had gotten separated from the rest of its flock. But as the goose flew it spied the pond of Farmer Jones. Farmer Jones had Toulouse geese in his pond. If you know anything about Toulouse geese – they are a heavy bread – so heavy that they don’t fly. The Canada goose – even though it was a different shape and color then the other geese on the pond soon found that it was soon accepted and became part of the flock. He stayed for a day, then a week, then a month, and then it turned into the entire winter. Farmer Jones was married to a kind and gentle wife. Every day she would take a bucket of cracked corn out to the pond and would feed the geese. The Canada goose enjoyed the lifestyle.
Finally spring was approaching and the wild geese were flying north again. The goose looked up – he could hear the honks of geese flying by and he was stirred with a strange thrill to join his old comrades in flight. But try as he might he could not get off the ground. He had become so soft and heavy that he could not rise to be with his old friends and family. So he dropped back to the pond again and said to himself, “Oh, well, my life is safe here and the food is good.” But every fall and every spring when he heard the wild geese honking overhead, his eyes would gleam for a moment and he would flap his wings. He did this for many years until one day he paid no attention to them.
The moral of the story – is that over time the soul can forget its high standards and ideals and be content with lower things.
The greatest danger to a believer in Jesus – is to become content with lower standards then what God wants for you and I to live. The danger is to become half hearted in living the Christian life.
Complacency and Indifference are real dangers.
Listen to the Wisdom of Solomon:
“For the waywardness of the naïve shall kill them, and the complacency of fools shall destroy them.” Proverbs 1:32
Let me give you two symptoms of complacency:
1. Satisfaction with the way things are.
2. Rejection of things as they might be.
Look at Revelation 3:14-16
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
The middle ground is actually the lowest ground. Do you see that? Jesus says I would rather have you hot or cold but I can’t stand lukewarm. I would rather have you love or hate but I can’t stand indifference. Jesus hates the middle ground. Look at what the verse says. He is saying I would rather have you too – hot or cold – I hate lukewarm. I would rather have you love or hate – I despise indifference.
The middle ground is the lowest ground.
For a long time I did not understand Romans 9:13. It seemed rather harsh – but not when you take it in the context of compliancy and indifference. You know what Romans 9:13 says? It says:
“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
This is God speaking. God says He loved Jacob but when it comes to Esau – He says he hated him. Why? What’s the reason? You have to go back into Genesis to find the answer. The answer is found in last part Genesis 25.
(TELL THE STORY.)
Esau was indifferent about his birthright – he was complacent about God’s will for his life. He was born for a purpose. God had a plan for his life. But guess what – God has a purpose for your life. God has a plan for your life. How are you treating it? There are people in this world that God wants to touch – and you know what – you are the only one who can do it. How are you treating your birthright? How are you treating your inheritance? How are you treating your genealogy? How are you treating your family name?
Have you ever wondered why those who a closet to you can irritate you the most? Have you ever wondered why? Joe Blow down the street doesn’t irritate you as much as your spouse does or your children do. He can do the most irritating thing and it doesn’t bother you – but your spouse or your child or your friend can say the slightest thing and it sets you off. Why is that? I can tell you why. Because you are not complacent about your spouse. You are not indifferent about your child. You are concerned about your best friend. Folks shouldn’t we be concerned about the things of God? Shouldn’t we have a passion for the things that God has a passion for? Shouldn’t we love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates. If we don’t – we are indifferent.
Matthew 22:37
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
You are to love God with how much of your heart – how much of your soul – how much of your mind? All of it. Every last bit of it. God does not want you to be a fence sitter. He does not want you complacent or indifferent – He wants you to have a passion for the things He has passion for. Where are you in your Christian walk today? Where do you stand? Are you just trying to get by? Are you just being comfortable?
*Imagine if you can if Jesus was complacent and indifferent. We would have no salvation – because Jesus was not complacent about you – Jesus was not indifferent about your salvation – we have a savior who loves you – we have a savior who went to the cross with passion. He did not choose the middle grown in fact he hates the middle ground.
