Complacency

I recently hurt my back, and I would tell you exactly what is wrong with it accept I tend to zone out when the Doctor starts using big words to tell me what is wrong with me, because I generally just want to know what I can do about it. Basically, lots of stuff in my back are not the way they should be, and it hurts… A LOT! I was getting better and was nearly 100% when I re-hurt it grabbing a box of Doritos. Needless to say, I felt a little pathetic hurting my back that way… I kind of wish I had a cool story to go along with my hurt back. For example, I could have hurt it by diving and saving a small child who was falling from a 3 story building or something like that, but no, I hurt it carrying a 5 lb box of Doritos.

(Yes, I eat a lot of Doritos)

This got me thinking about complacency, because I noticed if I sit around too much my back just gets worse. I need to be constantly moving and icing my back or else my back will get worse and my Doctor said if I get complacent about making my back better it could cause permanent damage. I can’t just shrug this injury off and go play basketball like I normally would; I need to treat it right.

Our faith is the same as my back injury in that, the moment we begin being complacent about it we begin damaging it, and for some people that damage can last the rest of their lives.

 I’ve seen this play out in many people’s lives around me. For example, there are people I know who once were on fire for Christ, doing all sorts of ministries, reading their Bible, encouraging me, and holding me accountable until one day they became complacent. They began thinking they are good enough, giving the old excuse “I don’t need to go to church; I can worship God at home.” They might come to church every once in a while for a while, but eventually they find a girlfriend or boyfriend who’s not a Christian, or they begin going to bars and/or partying. They then begin sleeping with that boyfriend or girlfriend, and/or move farther and farther into the party scene. Complacency in your faith can lead to the death of your faith.

Maybe, these people who I am speaking of were never actually saved. Maybe they are the seeds Jesus speaks of in Mark 4:5 that fall in shallow soil and spring up quickly but then die off because they lack the roots they need to survive. Maybe they will come back some day… I pray they will. The fact of the matter is, sometimes they don’t and I never want to be one of them.

Fortunately, they always can turn around and come back to Christ and we know from Luke 15:11-24 that He will see them coming towards Him and He won’t just sit there and wait for them to get to Him, He will run to them and embrace them. He won’t care what they’ve done, He’ll just be happy to have them back home.

Complacency is a dangerous path that we all walk down now and again, but thankfully we have a Savior who is full of grace and compassion and is just happy to welcome us home.

Do Something About It

I was just thinking about growing up in Northville, and I realized that we were constantly getting in fights growing up. I can remember my first fight like it was yesterday. This kid in my first grade class would pick on me and beat me up on a daily basis, but I wouldn't fight back because my parents told me not to hit people. So, he would continually push me and hit me telling me to "do something about it." Finally, one day I came home crying and my parents gave me permission to hit him back.

I remember being excited for the next day, when I would finally get even with this bully! Sure enough the very next day on our way back from art class he shoved me into the wall as we were walking into the class room and the hit me in the stomach while the teacher wasn't paying attention. He then proceeded to say the words I was waiting for "Do something about it." I did, and I did it well. I only hit him once, but I put everything I had into that punch and he never bothered me again.

(for the record I don't recommend hitting people... It's not nice and there were definitely better ways of handling this situation.)

While I was reminiscing about this I started thinking about those words "Do something about it" and how many Christians, young and old, don't do much of anything to show that they are followers of Jesus. Maybe they'll throw up some scripture on their facebook or twitter, but how much of their free time are they giving up to serve Christ.

We just need to constantly be asking ourselves, in what way can I serve God in the situation I am in right now? I promise if you pay attention He will answer you.

But we tend to think about how we can serve ourselves first not God. Sometimes, I get jealous when I hear about other Christians going on cool vacations and living in cool places, but the truth is right now Jamie and I are right where God wants us to be and if he wants us to go to some cool place then great! But unfortunately when you ask God where he wants you to be it's not always where you want to be. If by chance God wants me to move next door to the Dallas Maverick's Stadium, then you better believe I will be packing our bags and we will be on the next flight! Unfortunately, I doubt that'll happen.

Anyways, I think it's time we take a good look at our lives and ask ourselves, "How can I serve God?" because I guarantee their is an answer out there, and you might not like it, it might take a lot of sacrifice, but a Savior like ours is worth dying for.

I don't know about you but I don't want to end up like the lukewarm Christians being spit out in Revelation 3:15-16. I want to hear those words "Well done good and faithful servant" and this life is my chance to do something about it.