Where is God?
Why isn’t He answering me?
Why do others get to experience Him?
Doesn't God care about me?
Is God even real if I can't feel Him?
Questions we have all (likely) have had to wrestle with. What I have come to understand through my own wrestling and through studying the Bible, is that people are easily moved into a season of complacency. This is lived experience for me. You can also see throughout the Bible how the human condition is the same today as it was then. We humans are very impatient, we want to know God's plan, and we want to know if there is risk involved -- based on that, we will determine how far we are willing to go. It's like our default setting wants to know that we will gain something beneficial and from it. And most times we decide that God is not enough and therefore we enter into complacency.
Complacency is define as: a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
Signs of complacency:
Disengagement
Lack of investment in yourself, others and God
Loss of passion or desire
Disinterest in learning
Taking short cuts
Making justification / excuses for actions (or lack of)
No motivation
It is not on God to move us out of our complacency towards Him. That responsibility rests on you and me. And yet, we easily blame Him for "not showing up." When we are the ones who have become unmotivated to show up for Him based on the risks we perceive.
When we choose to live in complacency, we choose to separate ourselves from God. That's not on Him, its on US. When we are called to sacrificial living, that means laying our lives and expectations down to follow God, no one ever said it would be easy. And you're not going to figure it all out on the first try, it's a process of learning how to trust Him.
Just like an athlete makes the commitment to go to the gym regardless of how they feel about it. We must make the commitment to God, regardless of how we feel about it in the moment. This is a daily commitment. If we wait for the "right" time, we will never move out of complacency towards our relationship with God. We will only become further separated from Him.
So, how do we move out of complacency?
Start with a conversation with God
Own up to the fact that you've been complacent and separating yourself from God.
Ask him for hunger for his Word - commit to reading it even when you don't feel like it. (If you feel too busy, listen to it on a bible app)
Take action!
Make a commitment to turn your day over to him every morning.
Thank him in every evening; for the day and for his continued faithfulness
Ask him for wisdom and discernment
Keep it SIMPLE
Be reminded and encouraged that relationships take work - God has already invited you into his inner circle -- delight in that.
If you move back into complacency -- it's okay -- pick yourself up and try again!
Don't just take my word for it -- test it with scripture -- be discerning -- abide in HIM
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