One thing about a complacent person is that they leave much to be desired. I’ve heard Christians say they do not care about being promoted at work because this life is passing away. And I thought where is the glory in this? In what way is God being glorified? How can such a mindset propel one into relevance for kingdom benefits?
There is no glory in complacency. Unfortunately, it is often mistaken for contentment, which on the other hand is honorable.
Contentment is satisfaction with today’s progress while taking steps for tomorrow. The scripture tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6).
There are two extremes, those who feel the need to do nothing more than the basics and those who just can’t stop. Let’s explain the latter first.
These types of people do not know when to take a breather nor do they take time to appreciate their progress. In the spiritual sense, it may not be so much of a problem. However it is important for us to take time to reflect on what God has done, that way we become more grateful and in line with the direction He is leading (Psa. 77:11-12; Eph. 5:20). In other areas of life, it can be a tiring thing to do, always chasing the next big thing and missing out on the present joys. I dare say, this is why a lot of people become depressed.
The other extreme is complacency. Complacency is self-awareness accompanied by unawareness of deficiencies. It is synonymous with slothfulness, smugness, and laxness.
Your contentment, as a Christian, should come from the Lord–not from anyone or anything else. The first step to living a contented life is to derive our sufficiency from God. Biblical contentment is working towards the upward calling you have received from God, for His glory, and being satisfied with all that He is and has to offer. (1 Cor. 2:2; 2 Pet. 2:1-3)
As important as pressing on in the faith is, we must learn to remain content in all that the word of God is. For some unknown reason, some believers have sought other things outside and aside from the word of God and because of this, they have found themselves in heresies and falsehood, far from the will of God. (Jn. 17:17; 1 Cor. 2:2; 2 Pet. 2:1-3)
The word of God is complete and contains all that we need for this life on earth. Be content with it. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Spiritually, strive for more but not beyond the constraints of the word. Jesus saved you as you are but don’t remain that way. Grow. We must keep building up our faith (Col. 2:7; Jd. 1:20-21). Jesus doesn’t want us to get comfortable with being small, or weak. We are told to desire milk but eventually move towards cracking bones. Staying okay with doing the barest minimum is complacency.
Be satisfied with being united with Christ. Moreover, grow in your relationship with Him. Those who are complacent with their faith fall easily into unbelief. It takes active and persistent effort to grow in your conviction as a believer, especially in these last days.
Contentment helps us develop a better relationship with God, where every prayer we make is not about our needs or wants. Paul was content even in prison but he appreciated the help he had received. It translates to saying something like “Even if you do nothing more for me, you have done enough, yet I am grateful for all that you have done and would possibly do”. No complacency, no greed. Just contentment and gratitude. (Php. 4:11-13)
The dangers of complacency
It is an enemy of growth. We now understand that contentment and growth are not mutually exclusive. You can be living a very content life and still seeking growth. But complacency on the other hand is an enemy of growth. Because of the lack of desire to do more and stretch one’s self beyond their current capacity, such a person remains in that same position without any significant progress.
One of the things that facilitated the spread of the gospel and the growth of Christianity in today’s world is the fact that the early Christians weren’t complacent about the faith. They were constantly seeking ways to grow and constantly doing more to save more.
Complacency is synonymous with laziness and laziness does not please God (Jn. 5:17; Prov. 18:9). Because of the great responsibility that lies on every Christian to shine so bright that God is glorified, it is suicidal for a believer to be lazy. The link between shining our light and God being glorified is work (Matt. 5:16).
We must also remember that there are rewards obtainable in the life to come and it is the one who strives for them that can obtain them. (Rev. 22:12)
We used to say a rhyme in primary school “I will do my best, I shall never rest, until I make my good better, and my better best”. This should be the mindset of every believer. When we speak of contentment, it does not mean laxness. Don’t be satisfied with less than God’s ideal plan for you. If you’re good, strive for better, if you’re better strive for best. Strive for “excellent” and reach until you attain “most excellent” and even when you attain this, there’s something more you can go for: “perfect”, which is God’s ideal plan for us.
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 NIV
How to live in contentment
Regular self-examination through the word helps us note if we are living contently or complacently. Contentment is the balance between greed, overzealousness, and laziness. The key to keeping the right balance is to stay in touch with what God would have you do at a given time. We maintain the balance by making word-guided strivings.
Even though we may choose to lie to ourselves at times, deep down we know the truth. Periodic reflections on whether your way of life is glorifying to God will reveal to you if you have remained content or slipped away into complacency.
Draw strength from Jesus Christ. It’s easy to speak of contentment when the situation is rosy. But in a tough situation like the one Paul was in, contentment becomes difficult. Yet he says he learned to be content in all situations and he closes up the statement by saying he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Php. 4:13). Contentment is strengthened by Jesus Christ. Human nature tilts us to either extreme but through Christ we remain in the safe, essential center; contentment.
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