Complacency. Indifference. Self-satisfaction. In terms of spiritual health, complacency may be a symptom of something that needs attention.

Consider complacency in an athlete. You would wonder if an indifferent player was part of the team.

A coach would never put a complacent player into the game because of the lack of care about the outcome. The uniform only gives an outward appearance of being part of the team.

An old writer put it this way: “Lukewarmness or indifference in religion is the worst temper in the world. If religion is a real thing, it is the most excellent thing, and therefore we should be in good earnest in it; … If religion is worth anything, it is worth everything; an indifference here is inexcusable.”

Continual complacency in the way that we regard God is a spiritual symptom that needs to be checked out. It may be accompanied by a variety of things: unconfessed sin, absence of a devotional life, boredom with spiritual things, no need for God.

There may be an occasional sense of religious duty, but little evidence of relationship with Jesus.

God Himself is too majestic, righteous, just, loving and merciful to be ignored. An attitude of complacency toward God is a statement that He is not worthy of either devotion or obedience.

A critical question needs to be asked. “Why am I not moved by God?” It could be that I have let other things crowd out the things of God. Or, more seriously, that I have never really begun a relationship with Jesus, the One who died to pay for my passive or active rebellion against God.

The author of Revelation continues in 3:20 — “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

God continues to invite us into relationship. For some, it is to break from complacency to strengthen and restore the relationship. For others, it is time to begin the relationship.

Tom Petersburg  | www.catapultministries.org