Do not be complacent in your faith!

We live in a physical world that is directly linked to what we see, touch, feel, taste, and hear. The things we see and hear—whether good or bad—can easily influence our hearts. When we hear the Word of God, it uplifts, strengthens, and encourages us. On the other hand, the words we hear from the world—through people and social media—are often filled with negativity and content that brings us down. If we are not careful, we can become complacent in our faith.

Here are seven signs of complacency:

1. A sense of comfort or well-being that leads to abandoning or reducing the practices of faith.

People often say “you don’t need to go to church to pray because God is everywhere.” While it is true that God is everywhere, Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Jesus established the church so that we can gather together, which is necessary for our faith.

2. No longer prays (or prays only in critical moments).

Many people pray only when something bad happens. Some pray very minimally, offering only repetitive prayers, which is not true prayer.

3. Bible reading becomes rare, shallow, and rushed.

People grab the Bible, read quickly, and then go straight to Facebook. They spend hours on social media but feel tired after five minutes of reading the Bible. If understanding the Bible is the problem, pray and humble yourself, and God will reveal His Word to you.

4. Church attendance becomes infrequent and sporadic.

Some people do not come to church every Sunday for various reasons. Some are due to work, but many simply believe church is not necessary, or they only attend when there is a special event.

5. Begins to justify failures and omissions with phrases like “God understands” or “It’s not really like that.”

6. Starts making concessions to personal desires, no longer obeying God with reverence, nor taking the things of God seriously.

Remember: the way you treat the things of God is the same way He will treat you. If you treat the things of God with respect, reverence, consideration, and love, God will treat you the same way. But if you despise the things of God, your prayers will not be considered by Him.

7. Abandons the sacrifices that faith requires.

“And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ So he awoke from his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!’ But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” Judges 16:20

Samson was one of the judges of Israel and was blessed by God with supernatural strength. However, his weakness was women. He despised God by involving himself in relationships that had nothing to do with God. One of these women was used by Satan to bring him down.

Satan is not playing, and he never gives up. He will always try to pull you back into the world—into the misery and suffering from which you were delivered. You must not allow this to happen. Your soul is too precious; it cost the life of Jesus Christ on the cross. Do not be complacent about your soul and your salvation. Guard your relationship with God and do not risk it. Always watch and pray.

You can choose to be strong, committed, and live by faith and obedience—or you can choose to let the world influence you. The choice is yours.