Today, I started reading “Drawing Near” by John Bevere. It made me think about my status as a complacent Christian – well sometimes, anyway. If you haven’t heard of this pastor, John Bevere is a Christian author, speaker, and minister. He is the co-founder, along with his wife Lisa Bevere, of Messenger International, a ministry focused on spreading the message of the Gospel globally.
John Bevere has written numerous bestselling books on Christian living, leadership, and spiritual growth. Some of his notable works include “The Bait of Satan,” “Under Cover,” “Driven by Eternity,” and “Good or God?” He is recognized for his engaging and impactful teaching of biblical principles and has spoken at conferences and churches worldwide. John Bevere’s ministry and writings aim to empower individuals to live out their faith and fulfill their God-given purpose.
Back to the book. Well, the first chapter begins, “There is a call-no, a cry – coming from the heart of God and with each passing day, its intensity increases: “Why are you satisfied without my presence; why do you remain distant when you could have intimacy with Me?” This – to me – speaks to being a complacent Christian. How easy it is to be comfortable in our Christianity and our spiritual disciplines.
Wake up.
Pray.
Live life.
Repeat.
Sometimes, we can take our access to God for granted. But, we must never do that. It is such an honor and should be a pleasure to spend time in His presence – building intimacy with the Lord. It must remain a precious and special part of our lives. I think then it will be impossible to be a complacent Christian.
I don’t think any of us want to be a complacent Christian. Do you?
Whether we spend six minutes daily in prayer or six hours, we all long for deeper communion and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we don’t even know that is what we are longing for. In my life, this “longing” can manifest itself with:
- Anxiety
- The “Blues” (not the music)
- Wonder: “Is this all there is to life?”
- Insomnia
- A sense of overwhelm
Without fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you risk becoming a complacent Christian.
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is like hot sauce on fried fish. He brings flavor and depth.
The fellowship with the Holy Spirit is a special connection we have with God that brings us power, wisdom, and transformation.
When we actively engage in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, our spiritual journey takes on a new depth and richness. We begin to experience a heightened awareness of God’s presence in our lives, and our spiritual senses become more attuned to His leading and guidance.
Furthermore, fellowship with the Holy Spirit allows us to tap into its gifts and fruits. These gifts include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, and speaking in tongues.
On the other hand, the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence, we can access these supernatural manifestations and virtues that can significantly impact our lives and those around us.
Moreover, fellowship with the Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life that is pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and empowers us to overcome it, enabling us to walk in holiness and righteousness. He equips and empowers us to fulfill our divine purposes and callings, giving us the necessary gifts, talents, and opportunities to positively impact the world.
Fellowship with the sweet Holy Spirit is not just a religious concept but a vibrant relationship we can cultivate. It is an ongoing journey of communion, empowerment, and transformation. When we open our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, the spiritual elements of life cease to be ordinary and mundane but rather become a source of joy, fulfillment, and divine purpose.
This may be a tactic the enemy uses to pull us from prayer.
“You don’t want to pray. It’s sooo boring” he may say.
Why prayer could be boring for you.
I believe complacency may soon follow when we become too “comfortable” with our Christian walk.
Complacency is when we become too comfortable without His presence (as the above quote says). That could also be pride, but I’ll skip that one for another blog post.
Have you ever become complacent in a personal relationship?
I have.
When that happened, I stopped being grateful for the blessings that person ushered into my life. I wasn’t mean to them or anything; I just began to take them for granted.
Proverbs 1:32 says:
For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;
It happens with a lot of married couples.
Over the years, for example, I’ve gotten accustomed to my husband as an amazing provider. I never have to worry about anything financial. He’s given me so much more than I could have dreamed of having.
If I’m not careful, I can just take our amazing vacations for granted. I could take the home we live in for granted.
To be clear, we are not millionaires, but my husband has ensured we have all we need and then some.
As a result, I remind myself (literally, sometimes) to thank him and tell him how much I appreciate what he does for us.
If you were to scroll through my calendar, you’d likely see “Text Husband” scheduled a few times a month. This reminds me to send him an “I love you” text and thank him for his amazingness (I know that’s not a word:).
This prevents me from being a complacent wife – at least I try not to be.
Would you tell me what you do to prevent complacency in your life? Please comment below and help me (and others) learn to be better!
Back to the topic.
“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16 Click To TweetFellowship with the Holy Spirit in prayer also prevents us from being complacent Christians.
Again, when we are complacent, we begin taking things for granted – just like when we are in relationships.
Take prayer, for example. Prayer is really a true honor and blessing. Think of it: we get to talk to the Creator of the universe one-on-one. The best part is that He wants to talk to us, too!
But, when we get to a place of being too “comfortable,” we neglect that precious time with Him. I know I have. We can get comfortable without the precious prayer time that gives us strength, encouragement, and direction.
The same goes for the church.
When I’m complacent, the church seems laborious. It seems like a “to do” more than an opportunity to go to the Lord’s house to worship, love others, and get love for myself.
Complacency is the biggest enemy of Christians.
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is the magic pill for being a complacent Christian.
The first step in fellowship with the Holy Spirit is recognizing He is a person. He is a part of God that connects us to the heart of the Father.
As you embrace Him as a person. Your prayer time is more tentative. It’s slower. It’s more meaningful … each second of it.
It’s addressing Him, inquiring of Him. Waiting for Him. Soon, you’ll feel His presence and begin to recognize it. Such a beautiful thing!
Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit breathes life into your prayer time.
‘And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.’ (John 14:16-17)
How could you be a complacent Christian when you know you have an exclusive Helper who will guide you into all truth?
Indeed, becoming intimate with the Holy Spirit is the first step to being a grateful, excited Christian who does not take the Lord for granted. It’s a spiritual conductor of supernatural electricity in your life.
The Holy Spirit helps you out of complacency as He keeps your prayer time relevant.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Revelation 2:4
He knows you inside and out.
He knows the Father inside and out. He will put his “finger” on places in your life that require repentance, correction, and confession. This may not be the most fun part of your prayer time, but it’s the most valuable.
The Holy Spirit makes sure we don’t cling to sins we have become blind to in our lives. Sins that facilitate angst and distance from fellowship with the Father.
While doing all this, He makes sure we are affirmed as he performs spiritual surgery on our hearts – removing the things that need to go and nurturing us through the process. So sweet. Even in those rough times, He is so kind.
So, as John Bevere asked, ” “Why are you satisfied without my presence; why do you remain distant when you could have intimacy with Me?”
Reach for the intimacy the Lord is offering you. You’ll be less lonely, you’ll feel more supported, and you’ll be energized by your time with Him.
