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Allen Domelle

The Greatest Cause of Complacency


Jeremiah 48:11

Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

One of the most troubling statements that could be said about a church, pastor, ministry worker, or a believer is said about Moab. God said Moab hath been at ease from his youth. Moab never had anything to challenge himself. Moab never poured himself into any cause. Moab was happy with complacency, and it resulted in his destruction.

Complacency with the status quo has produced dying churches, dead preaching, and entertainment-focused believers. Most people do not go to church to have their life changed, but they go to church to be entertained. When the preacher is no longer fun to watch or puts too much pressure to be committed to the cause of Christ is when the complacent believer leaves that church to find a comfortable place to attend. Too many believers want a church where they have comfortable preaching instead of a church that makes them uncomfortable enough to do something for God.

The greatest cause of complacency is to be at ease. What does it mean to be at ease? To be at ease means to live your life with no effort for anything, and to live your life where nothing bothers you. In other words, you seek for preaching that will not bother your lifestyle or convict you. You look for a church where they put no pressure on you to put effort into your Christian walk. Complacency in the pulpit has produced complacent believers who are prone to be at ease with entertainment instead of living a life of faith. There are three actions you must take if you don't want to live a life of complacency.

First, never be okay with being okay. You should never be happy with where you are spiritually. There should always be something inside you that desires to do more for God. Never allow yourself to think you have arrived spiritually. If nothing ever bothers you, you are likely bound by complacency. There are many “good” believers who rarely do bad things, but they are not doing anything good. To avoid a complacent heart, you must look forward to how much further you need to go than to look back at accomplishments.

Second, you must have a cause to pour your life into. Moab was complacent because it had not been emptied from vessel to vessel. If you don't have a cause greater than yourself, you will never have a reason to pour your life into something. A cause for Christ is the greatest cause a person can pour their life into. Complacency is the result of people living a life without a cause.

Third, you must be captive to your cause. God said about Moab that he had never gone into captivity. Moab never had to fight, and it caused him never to change. A believer must have a cause so great that it takes faith to make it happen. You will never fight if you do not have to have faith to make a cause happen. You need something greater than you that captivates your attention so that you will fight to make that cause become a reality. A faith cause forces you to fight to make the vision a reality, but it also causes you to change whatever is necessary to make the cause to become a reality. A life of ease or complacency will never be your downfall if you have a cause you must fight for, a cause that forces you to live a life of faith.

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