The Demon of Complacency
Scripture – Amos 6:1-3: 1Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! 2Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? 3You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror.
Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) This hits the target for me right off the bat. Complacency is one of my most troubling sins. I like it when life and ministry run smoothly. I’m tempted to make that the focus of my work – to simply serve as a maintenance man for the church. My tendency is to let the engine run while the car sits in neutral. I’ll enjoy the quiet sound of the running engine. Maybe I’ll do some cleaning of the car. But all the while, we’re not going anywhere. I slip into that mode more easily than I care to admit.
Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will move out of and beyond maintenance mode. To be sure, there’s a need for maintenance. At the same time, the purpose of a car is to move us from one place to another.
Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord Jesus, please shake me out of this. Show me your direction for my life and for the church. Save me from this demon of complacency that would try to move in and take control. Help me make the shift from neutral into drive. Then remind me to move over and let you be the driver.
An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting tomorrow morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.
Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) This hits the target for me right off the bat. Complacency is one of my most troubling sins. I like it when life and ministry run smoothly. I’m tempted to make that the focus of my work – to simply serve as a maintenance man for the church. My tendency is to let the engine run while the car sits in neutral. I’ll enjoy the quiet sound of the running engine. Maybe I’ll do some cleaning of the car. But all the while, we’re not going anywhere. I slip into that mode more easily than I care to admit.
Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will move out of and beyond maintenance mode. To be sure, there’s a need for maintenance. At the same time, the purpose of a car is to move us from one place to another.
Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord Jesus, please shake me out of this. Show me your direction for my life and for the church. Save me from this demon of complacency that would try to move in and take control. Help me make the shift from neutral into drive. Then remind me to move over and let you be the driver.
An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting tomorrow morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.
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