Complacency is an attitude of the heart. In all honesty, some of us like our giants. They’ve been in our lives for so long they’ve become part of the landscape. We know in our minds that the giants need to go, but there’s security in having those giants there. They’re harmful, but they’re familiar, and we tend to like what’s familiar. But familiarity can be the voice of the Accuser in our lives. Our giants constantly tell us no. No, I won’t fall. No, it can’t be done. No, you can’t win the victory.
Don’t take no for an answer.
The cross is a safe place, but it’s not always a comfortable place. We are in a fight. And when we desire for our giants to fall, when we want the glory and fame of Jesus to be known above all, we want our lives to count for his glory. We drive a stake through the heart of self. We make a determined choice to die to our harmful desires. We make a conscious choice to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
This has to become personal for each of us. You have to think: I’ve got to get rid of my giants. I can’t settle into complacency. I’ve got to see that this giant is a problem. This thing isn’t helpful—not ultimately. This thing is trouble. This thing slows me down. This thing kills my relationships. This thing hardens my heart. This thing will destroy me. There’s a desperation and an urgency I need to tap into here. I’ve got to get rid of this thing because I don’t want it to kill me. I don’t want it to sap the life out of me. I don’t want it to destroy every good thing in my life, my relationships, my future, my career, my family. I’ve got to get rid of this thing—and I’ve got to get rid of it now!
Yes, the battle is won, but we are still in a fight. Yes, we’re resting in the work of God, but we must go forward and over-come our complacency. And it’s not just for our sake either. I mean, come on, we’re living on a planet with billions of people who’ve never heard of Jesus. This world is rattling at the hinges right now. Any day this whole thing could just go up in smoke. But we have the answer: Jesus Christ. There’s work to be done. There isn’t time to be complacent. We know hope. We have the truth. We have the life. We have the way. We have Jesus.
I don’t know how much is waiting on you today, but I do know it’s not all about you. There are other people waiting on you to take that step of faith today. I don’t know who they are or what they look like or what God’s been putting on your heart. But I do know that Jesus wants you to live in the mission he’s designed for you. When we follow Christ, his pathway forward begins with us trusting in Jesus. But Jesus also sanctifies us. He conforms us to his image and sands away the rough edges in our lives. He invites us to join him on his mission.
When we are close to Jesus, that proximity to him is a work that benefits not only us but others as well. When we are close to Jesus, we can bring hope and life and freedom and strength to people trapped in despair and darkness. Jesus has a mission for us, and that’s always to draw people one step closer to him. The gospel is not the gospel so we can sit and stare at our navels. The gospel is the gospel because life is short and we have a big God. The gospel is the gospel because Jesus leads us to proclaim the truth that he saves to anybody and everybody on this planet.
Like we talked about earlier, life is short, and God is big, and we need to get into that headspace of knowing that and believing that and saying that and living that. Life is short. God is big. I’m going to take a step forward. I’m going to obey Christ. I’m not going to be complacent any longer. There’s too much work to be done. I’m going to fulfill what I said I would do. Life is short. God is big. I’m going to trust him to do what only he can do.
Killing complacency and seeing our giants fall should not lead us to expect a giant free journey from that point on. There will be giants all throughout our walk, but we shouldn’t be afraid. We should stay vigilant. We’ll conclude our series tomorrow discussing how to keep our guard up throughout our walk with our Shepherd.
