The Effects of Complacency

Written by: Joe Sherrieb, Assistant Life Group Director

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We’ve all been there at some point or another. When we’re old enough, we become numb to the idea of needing to improve in our careers. When we’re a few years into our marriages, we become uninterested in finding ways to love our spouses the way we did in the honeymoon stage. We ignore healthy habits and neglect our physical and mental well-being. At times, we become comfortable with the daily work-eat-Netflix-sleep schedule. There are many ways complacency can find its way into our lives and can keep us from growing professionally, relationally, and healthily. But there is also another way we can become complacent…spiritually. 

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We can let complacency detrimentally impact our spiritual growth, or lack thereof. We can begin to feel comfortable coming late to a worship service and leaving early without the desire to stay and fellowship with the body. We can be content with our current knowledge of God and his Word, neglecting our pursuit of hearing from him. We can stagnate ourselves by becoming hearers of his word rather than doers, consumers rather than contributors, learners rather than teachers, and being served rather than serving others. We can be comfortable doing life exclusively within our Christian circles that we disregard those who desperately need to hear about Jesus. Why? Because we think, “Someone else will do that.”

Though we can become stagnant, we will always hold the title of “influencers”. Others see our lives and are influenced by it, for better or for worse. Our faith, in part, is meant to build others up and edify the saints. It’s not meant to benefit only ourselves. And this little leaven of complacency in us can begin to leaven the whole lump, that is, the church family, until a culture of complacency starts to form and we become lukewarm like the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:14-16. 

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One way to combat this is to find community in a Life Group where you can be encouraged to grow more in Christ-likeness. We all need support and encouragement from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Accountability within a healthy Life Group can help us to avoid our comfort zones and lead us in our effort to grow. If you are a leader or member of a Life Group, consider whether accountability is prevalent in your group and find ways as a Life Group to challenge each other in areas where complacency is evident. I have heard many stories of how group members have overcome complacency with the help of their Life Group family and I’d love to extend this invitation to you.

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If you desire to join a Life Group, please fill out our Life Group Registration Form. We would love to get you connected!