FROM MIRACLE TO COMPLACENCY
(This is a 5-minute read)
In many ways, memories help us connect effortlessly with the past, but no matter how grateful we are for them, or how much comfort they bring us, they live only in the past. We all know that it takes more than remembering something to keep it going. This is true not only for human relationships but also for our relationship with God: we certainly need to go beyond the memories of our past experiences of His goodness and His miracles. In all seasons of life, we need to continually experience God not so we could build an impressive spiritual archive but so that we could be strengthened in our core as believers. Commonly, we turn to God only when we face setbacks. But as soon as normalcy returns, we let the hustle of everyday life take over and set the relationship on a ‘cruise mode’ till the next mishap. As a result, our connection with God looks more like a seasonal curve with peaks of miracles and dips of complacency and very little else in between.
Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul.
A Z Tozer
In Luke 6:46-49, Jesus offered a stern warning for ‘cruisers’ who only want His rescue, resources, and rewards but are ambivalent in their relationship with Him: “Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to Me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”Using a well-built house as a metaphor being grounded in our relationship with Him, Jesus likened a strong relationship with Him to weather-proofing our lives for every storm that will arrive on our shores. We don’t become stronger by avoiding unpleasantness and pain, or by resigning ourselves to a mediocre state of existence but by allowing ourselves to be tested so that the quality of our love for God and our character is revealed.
#1 COME IN HUMILITY
James 4:10 offers a way for us to approach God appropriately: “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.”
Humility is the human quality that draws us to God. Like how a toddler runs across a room towards a parent who catches and lifts her up till they are face to face. Regardless of our experience or the number of years, we have been a believer and followers of Jesus Christ, honoring God throws us into His embrace. The more we do it, the more natural it becomes and the stronger our relationship with Him. Let’s be honest: humility is not a prized asset in today’s world. We prize things like knowledge, titles, social connections, and recognition though they reveal very little about the kind of people we are. Most of our interactions reveal little about our private worlds. On the other hand, humility with God involves honesty with Him and letting Him see what we are and what we are not. And trusting that each time we run towards Him, He would open His arms wide to receive us without any condemnation.
#2 LISTEN WITH UNDERSTANDING
Today, we have access to a large amount of information and infinite options on our mobile devices. Instinctively, we apply quick mental filters to decide what is true and what is best for us. It is a mistake to apply the same filters when we unpack the Word of God. Jesus’ teachings are not suggestions or advice for living well, neither are they merely moral imperatives that keep followers in check but they are biblical mandates for kingdom living for all believers. Hebrews 2:1 reminds us that we must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away. Picture yourself as a trusting child running towards God the Father. As you catch His indulgent smile, these words appear in your heart: “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure My commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.” (Proverbs 2:1-3 NLT).
#3 PRACTICE OBEDIENCE
In any construction, a strong foundation is crucial to keep the built structure safe and secure. For believers, a strong foundation is the invisible underpinnings of our lives. When we put the Word of God into practice, we are pounding and piling God’s truth deeper and deeper into the foundation of our lives to keep our house - which is our lives - secure and strong. 1 Timothy 4:15 offers this advice: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” And how do we practice obedience? The answer lies in James 1:22-23: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”Buildings have collapsed not because of huge storms but because of the lack of attention to their foundation in the beginning and over time. In the same way, it does not matter how long we have been Christians, even strong foundations can be weakened over time. Your life is a house that cannot be neglected because you think you had laid a good foundation sometime in the past. It is also erroneous to think that being strong is simply about putting on a face of emotionless stoicism in times of hardships. How do we ensure a strong foundation? According to Jesus, it is this: “everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice”.We need to be careful not to be too attached to the hustle of everyday life and push an Almighty God into an abstract existence, or as a noun, we casually insert into our text messages and conversations. Really, is anything more important than God?
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR session held on 29 Jan 2022.
