Mind The Creep | The Complacency Creep
The CREEP:
The subtle shift of actions and ideas away from Biblical standards
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Before we get to today’s creep, I have some things you need to know about yourself…
1: God Loves you
2: God has a purpose for you
3: The enemy hates you because of God’s purpose in you
Today’s creep is:
The Creep Of Complacency
Complacency:
A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself, one’s achievements, or one’s current position
Here’s the thing to know about complacency:
1: Complacency is not laziness, but it leads to it
- Complacency is taking your eye off the ball
2: Complacency can take many forms
- In your work/school
- In your marriage
- With raising your kids
- Finances
- Relationships
Today, we are focusing on…
SPIRITUAL COMPLACENCY
What we need to know about SPIRITUAL complacency:
Spiritual Complacency is a KILLER
- Kills callings
- Kills Purpose
- Kills discipline
- Kills your future
Spiritual Complacency is a LIAR
- Lies about time (No need to rush)
- Lies about the future (No need to worry)
- Lies about yourself
Spiritual Complacency is CONTAGIOUS
- Spreads to groups
- Spreads to ideas
Complacency can look like many things:
- Doing good things but the wrong things
- Busyness
- Going with the flow
- Avoiding conflict/risk
- narcissism
- Over-dependence
- Following the trend
- Low Standards
Spiritual complacency is the STARTING POINT for much of what trouble Christian Believers in their life
- It leads to many spiritual problems
Let’s look at a few ways HOW complacency CREEPS into our life
Let’s think of COMPLACENCY as something with a voice
- Complacency creep has 3 voices:
1:Voice of Distraction
“Look over here”
Distraction can come from:
- Good things
- Important Things
“GOOD THINGS” that distract us and cause complacency
- Money/Job/The Grind
- Media/Social/Entertainment
- Church/Religion/Doing the “Right Things”
- Relationships (unhealthy)
- Routines (Unhealthy)
Complacency from Distraction is a FOCUS issue
The enemy is like a master magician
- He will try and get you to change your FOCUS
- From what is important to what is unimportant
- From what is ETERNAL to what is TEMPORARY
Jesus says it this way…
Matthew 7
15 “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
Always examine what you are focusing on to make sure it’s bearing GOOD FRUIT in your life
- Is this worth my time/energy/focus
- Is this bringing me closer to Jesus
- Is this building something for the kingdom, or just for me
Goal as Christian believers?
- Bear the fruit of God’s Spirit
The next Voice of Complacency
2: Voice of Pride
“I’ve got this!”
Pride tells us to “Rest Easy”
Pride ELEVATES your capacity and DIMINISHES God’s Capacity in your life
Amos 6
1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria—the notable people in this first of the nations, those the house of Israel comes to.
3 You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.
4 They lie on beds inlaid with ivory, sprawled out on their couches, and dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall.
5 They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David.
6 They drink wine by the bowlful and anoint themselves with the finest oils but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore, they will now go into exile as the first of the captives, and the feasting of those who sprawl out will come to an end.
8 The Lord GOD has sworn by himself—this is the declaration of the LORD, the God of Armies: I loathe Jacob’s pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it.
God our Father HATES pride
Pride tells us that “You’ve Got This!”
- You don’t need anybody
- You don’t need God
- Where is God
- You got here by yourself
- You’ve got what it takes
God says “Ive Got You”
- My yoke is EASY and my burden is LIGHT
- When you fall, I will pick you up
- You are MY Child
- I will NEVER leave you or forsake you
Don’t listen to pride
3: Voice of Shame
“I’m not good enough for anything better”
Some of us carry around a lot of shame
- Of what you’ve done
- What’s happened to you
Shame causes you to settle for less than you’re worth
- You are a Child of God!
Shame is a liar
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
You don’t have to earn God’s love
- He’s not waiting on you to be “GOOD ENOUGH”
You are LOVED
You are ACCEPTED by God
All you need to do is come to with a heart ready for his forgiveness and healing
How do you answer Spiritual Complacency?
How do you MIND THE CREEP?
1: Answer DISTRACTION with FOCUS
- What is God calling you to do/be
2: Answer PRIDE with SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE
- What is it going to take to get there?
- Spiritual discipline takes the weight off us and places it on God’s shoulders
3: Answer SHAME with HEALTHY REFLECTION
- Learn from your mistakes along the way
- Give yourself grace
- Learn from sin, but don’t stay is sin
Evaluate constantly
- Am I growing
- Am I getting better
- Where was I a year ago
- Where was I