Here is a Sure Fire Antidote To Complacency
In the last post on lessons from my 2024 Word of the Year (CONTENT), I dive into the fight against complacency. You won't believe this secret in the battle against a complacent life.
Welcome to the dying embers of August. If you are reading this as I have published it, there are less than 48 hours left in the hottest month of the year. The heat of August signals to me that I need a mid-year check-up.
What have I learned in 2024 to this point?
What can I use to process how to end the year strong?
My Word of the Year is the best place for me to start.
I’ve shared three things I’ve learned from my process, and today, I have a fourth for you. If you missed any of the three, find them here:
And I had a little bonus in the middle while I was road-tripping with my son. These are five things I learned from my first Word of the Year word:
Before I start, I have one more little nugget to help you grow in your journey with your Word of the Year.
Find a Monument Stone
Genesis 28 shares the story of a man on the run from his brother. Jacob cheated Esau out of his blessing and birthright, so Esau vows to kill Jacob. Jacob runs to his uncle Laban’s, and on the way, he spends the night alone in an open field. Under the night sky, Jacob lays his head on a stone for a pillow.
As he slept under the stars, he saw a vision of heaven and earth coming together in the very spot where he lay. This vision was a renewal of the promise made to his grandfather, Abraham. The land would belong to Jacob’s family and descendants, who would number as deep as the dust he lay on and the stars he lay under.
In the morning, Jacob turned the stone he had used for a pillow into a pillar to honor this place. He anointed it with oil and named the place Bethel (which means House of God). The stone became a monument or a reminder of what he had seen that night.
“Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.” -Genesis 28:18-19
This is just one example of the people of God creating monuments to remind themselves and their ancestors of what God had done for them.
I encourage you to find a physical object to remind yourself of your Word of the Year. I’ve used oversized scrabble tiles to spell my word, printed t-shirts with a design based on my word, and had a friend send me a simple cord necklace with a token stamped with my word on it. Every year is a little different, but I’ve had a hard time finding a fitting monument this year.
However, while walking through a flea market in the Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, I found the perfect piece of art displayed under a 10x10 booth. I bought a copy, and it’s been framed right now. It will soon hang in my office. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to find a monument for your Word of the Year.
Content or Complacent
A consistent theme in my thoughts about CONTENT is not falling from contentment toward complacency. There is a fine line between these two. One is a goal to shoot toward, the other is a place to avoid, and it is easy to slip from a win to a loss.
I think of a championship team that takes the offseason easy. They don’t add new talent or work to improve their weaknesses with the time between seasons. It is more than just being content with a monumental win; they slide into complacency, believing they are good enough with last season’s effort. Contentment versus complacency is an ongoing battle.
Paul shares this wisdom with his protege, Timothy:
“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” -1 Timothy 6:6
I shared this scripture, a go-to for devotions on contentment, a few weeks ago in my first post on contentment. I wrote how the end result of this little equation, great wealth, doesn’t necessarily refer to monetary wealth, but the principle of hard work remains.
This week let me turn toward another phrase in the equation—true godliness. What is true godliness, and can it keep us from complacency?
Moving Beyond the Basics
The author of Hebrews begins chapter six by telling us that it’s time to move past the basic or elementary principles of following Jesus. Interestingly, the basics the author is referring to are the rules and doctrine of Christianity (repentance, baptism, prayer, judgment). He (or she) encourages the Jewish believers scattered across the Roman world that God won’t forget their mature, true godliness — hard work for God and love for others. This is true godliness.
“Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” -Hebrews 6:9-10
But the author doesn’t end there. He challenges them to continue in this work.
“Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”
-Hebrew 6:11-12
True godliness isn’t only a season of hard work and love. It is a lifetime. He says that we shouldn’t grow dull. In other words, we shouldn’t become complacent in doing what we are called to do. If we continue with godly actions and attitudes, it leads to the fulfilled promises of God. The author restates what Paul told Timothy: the fulfilled promises of God are a great wealth.
Fighting Complacency Builds Contentment
So what am I saying? We must be I must be content with the yet-to-be-fulfilled promises of God in my life while not being complacent in doing the things God has called me to do—namely, love others.
And here is the beautiful thing: as I care for and love others, the desires I have for myself fade away. My wants become less important because I see the deep needs of others around me. If I choose not to be complacent in God's calling on my life, then contentment is a natural byproduct.
And there is still more to learn as I walk through the final months of 2024! So, I must not become complacent in learning and growing in all God does in and through me this year. The same is true for you. I challenge you to learn and grow from your Word of the Year.
Great words! Thanks