S20P7 – The obstacles to faith: complacency
Phil. 2:12-13
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
When we scan the scriptures for verses that instruct us on our spiritual walk following salvation, we see a pattern. The bible does not give us an endpoint to our spiritual growth through God prior to the return of Christ. What it gives us is a perpetual reminder to continue progressing in faith, power, wisdom, understanding and a host of other things. It is not a matter of checking off the boxes and at some point calling it a day. It is a matter of continual work while we are living in this order of things to daily change more and more into the image of God.
Complacency tells us that whatever level we have reached is good enough and that staying where we are right now is sufficient to fulfill God’s calling on our lives. However, this attitude flies in the face of the biblical instruction we receive regarding our walk. This is a serious matter. The powers and principalities that fight against us do not take a day off. They also do not ease the pressure on us over time. When we decide that our spiritual growth need not progress, we stop taking seriously the spiritual battle to which we have been called. In actuality, complacency only gives the illusion that we are standing still. The truth is that one who fails to grow will only regress. There is no simply “maintaining” our faith.
We are not called to stop fighting the good fight. As long as we exist in this order of things, there is work to be done and a battle to be fought. We do not clock in every morning and out every night. We clocked in the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, and we do not clock out until He returns. Our desire should be for continual spiritual growth so that we may carry out God’s will as He has ordained in each of our lives. Father, make us steadfast and devoted to growth and change for your name’s sake, so that we may indeed become more and more like You until the day we are made perfect.