The Dangers of Complacency

Judges 2:7

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

Israel’s demise started when they got comfortable and chose to make peace with their achievements. Instead of looking to conquer the Promised Land, they made treaties with the countries which led to them making peace with their gods as well. The whole book of Judges is a result of people letting their past achievements be all that they would do for God, but it led to a generation that did not know the works of God, which led to their demise.

Many believers and churches have followed the destructive pattern to stop conquering, and it has always led to compromise and worldliness. The Scriptures show that great men of God fell in sin when they got comfortable. When Noah had no purpose to wake up every morning after the flood is when we see him getting drunk. When David chose to stay home from a battle is when he committed adultery. There are many reasons why you should never become comfortable with past achievements. Let me share the dangers of complacency.

First, complacency causes you to stop having goals. Goals drive us to achieve in life. When you stop setting goals, you lose a vision to push forward for Christ. At the end of Paul’s life, he still had goals he wanted to achieve. He said that he pressed toward the mark; in other words, he always kept pushing because he had a goal to conquer. When you become complacent in past achievements is when you lose the vision for God to do something mighty through you.

Second, complacency leads to a loss of purpose. You must have a purpose to drive you, for without a purpose, you are sure to go the way of sin. They said about Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, that he produced a purpose to keep driving him to become better. A loss of purpose always leads you to lose the drive to become better so that you can achieve the vision God has given you.

Third, complacency leads to pride. Complacency will always cause you to think your achievements are better than any achievement of the present day. Pride and complacency have been the downfall of many great saints of God. When pride sets in, complacency is sure to follow, and when complacency sets in is when you begin the downward spiral of a spiritual death.

Fourth, complacency causes the next generation not to know the works of God. The reason you must never become complacent is because the next generation needs to see God working through your life so that it creates a desire in them to have the same works accomplished in their lives. The fact is, there are many more accomplishments God wants you to do, and He will show His power through your life if you will keep trying to conquer great things for Him.

Have you become complacent in your life? What goals do you have that drive you daily? My friend, the thing that will cause you to push through hardships and not feeling good is the vision you have for God to do something mighty through you. A vision of faith will always drive you to do more for God if you never become complacent with past achievements. Stop looking back at what you have done, and look forward to how much more you need to do for God. Keep a faith vision, and complacency will never set in.