When I was a young man, I used to think there was a magic finish line in life. I thought, “If I can just reach this certain position at my employment or maybe get into that house, or reach this key point in my relationship, I can finally sit back and relax.”
Have you ever thought that way too? But here is the truth all of us learn the hard way:
There is no magic “YOU MADE IT SIGN” on this side of Heaven.
The moment you think you have “arrived,” that is when complacency sets in. And the moment complacency sets in, your growth stops. Yes, there is that same word again we discussed in the previous 2 posts.
In Proverbs 23:12, we are told: “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” Guys, please pay special attention to that word: apply. It’s an active verb and it requires daily energy, deliberate effort, and constant self-discipline and mental focus.
Look at what the Apostle Peter’s tells us in 2 Peter 1:5-6:
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness.”
Did you notice how Peter describes the Christian life? It is an active building process. It is like working out. Faith leads to goodness, goodness to knowledge, knowledge to self-control, and self-control to perseverance. God never designed us to stop building or stop moving and He certainly didnt design you to be complacent.
When you get comfortable in your marriage, you stop pursuing your wife, and the passion dies. When you get comfortable as a dad, then you stop teaching your kids, and the world gladly steps in to take your place. When you get comfortable in your spiritual life, your faith becomes stale and weak.
Do you see the common theme? When YOU get comfortable.
God doesn’t reward apathy or spiritual laziness. He expects us to move forward with integrity, hard work, and enthusiasm. He expects you to be intentional in your fatherhood and your marriage. Faith is not something you achieve just once; it is something you pursue every single morning when your feet hit the floor.
Jesus summarized the standard for us in Matthew 22:37: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” That leaves zero room for a half-hearted, complacent life.
Stop waiting for the day when you can just check out, rather, remember that you have a purpose, you have people depending on you, and you have a God who called you to stay in the fight.
Here is my challenge for you today: Take a honest look at where growing has stalled in your life. Pinpoint that single area or your personal routine where the bar has slipped. Then, refocus and commit right now to diving back in with renewed energy and purpose.
Until next time, guys…
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