Complacency is the Enemy of Progress, Success, Following Christ, etc.

          Success as a Christian does not look like the American Dream. Get that idea out of your head right now. Our goal should not be to have a nice house, a yard for the kids to play in, a golden retriever with his tail blowing proudly in the breeze. That's not us. We are the servants of this world. I cannot tell you how spoiled I've been because I live in so much comfort. I've never been hungry for more than 12 hours. (Except once we did a 24 hour fast for some charity but THAT was not fun and I complained the whole time.) I've never not had a warm, comfortable bed to fall asleep in. I've never had parents who don't believe in me and give me whatever I needed to succeed. I live a comfortable, luxurious life. And I'm sick of it. 

          Those goals, the American Dream, that's the ultimate satisfaction this world has to offer. And as Christians, we come to the realization that it's all pointless. It's all meaningless, and that's not our satisfaction. I found out through one of my classes this week that people think Paul was the true founder of Christianity.
After disproving that, I then looked deeper into who Paul really was. Paul was like . . . a Christian superhero. I'm not putting him anywhere near Christ, but he puts it perfectly when he says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." And he could say that, because he actually followed Christ! He lived this thing out! So when we read in Philippians that Paul was overjoyed to be held in captivity for the simple fact of preaching the gospel, we can follow that. 

The story of Ananias and Sapphira in a convenient
Sunday-school approved illustration.

          I struggled so hard with Jesus saying, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." I was almost angry . . . why was having money such a bad thing? You could buy presents for people with it, you could give money to missions trips, you could do so much to help people with money. But then I came across Acts 5 in my Theology class this semester. Long story short, a man and his wife sold some of their property so they could help to pay Peter and his friends who were preaching. The problem is that they kept money for themselves. They lied to Peter and to the Holy Spirit, and God struck them dead. At this point, I'm tiptoeing away from my Bible in fear. Why in the world would God strike them down for keeping money from the apostles? I'm not going to answer that question, because only God in His sovereignty knows why he chose to take them from this world. But what I will say is that having money, having comfort, having safety, being complacent . . . those things work so hard against our faith.

          Can you have money and still follow Jesus? Can you live in a nice house? Can you have the comforts of this world?

          I can't definitively say no to these things. But time and time again, the Word tells us that we're in no way, shape, or form entitled to these things when we give our lives to Christ. We're called to go. Regardless of anything else, our very life's purpose is to go and make disciples. To tell people about Jesus Christ. To serve the people of this world. So whatever God calls you to, your daily goal ought to be to tell people about His son. If having a nice house, if having a lot of money, if the comforts of this world call you to be complacent and that hinders you from living out the task that you've been given, then give it up! Place it at the foot of the cross as a sacrifice to your King, and go and live the life that He's called you to live. 

          It's time for a revival of a complacent people. It's time to get out of our comfort zones and begin living where our feet can't touch the bottom. If you're singing Oceans by Hillsong but you're not going out into the depths where you actually have to rely on Christ, just stop singing the song! Stop telling God that you want to go where you have to rely on Him if you're not willing to actually do it! Don't ask God to direct your steps if you're not willing to move your feet. 
          "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." That's not me, that's James. You know, James, brother of Jesus? Inspired by the Holy Spirit? So don't take my word for it. Take His word for it. Serve Him in love, my dear friends. And all that is promised in 1 Corinthians 2:9 will be yours.