When Spiritual Complacency Kills

Complacency kills. We are in a spiritual battle, and complacency can cause all kinds of trouble for the health of our souls. In a recent Christianity Today article, pastors cited apathy as their biggest frustration with church members. The Lord reminds us to keep moving forward in growing closer to him, for our own good and the good of our family. We have an enemy who loves to lull us to sleep, and then attack. Slacking on our spiritual situational awareness makes us vulnerable to false teaching and outright lies from the devil. We—and the children we are entrusted to raise—can quickly be trapped in a web of deceit when not fed the truth.

Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord.

Romans 12:11 (CEV)

So, build in spiritual goals for your family. You can’t force growth, but you can put good food on the table. Resolve to get to church regularly and be involved with your congregation. Find, or create, a small group that works for your family. Read a brief devotional out loud while the kids are inhaling their breakfast cereal. Pray about finding a service project you can do together to serve the Lord. Challenge each other to memorize a verse each week. Block out regular times of being unplugged and enjoying God and his wonders out in nature. Pray together—and pray for your children’s spiritual defenses.

Above all, be a model for your kids of eagerness in following the Lord. Spiritual complacency soon leads to deadly sin. But staying on the offense in the spiritual battle brings a lifetime of blessings for your people starting with love, peace, and joy.

Pray

Oh Lord, please help me! Don’t let us fall into spiritual complacency when the stakes are so high in this battle. Show me ways to keep us on the right track in growing our love for you. Amen.

Time to Talk

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and His Word more deeply.

Question(s): Did you know we are in a spiritual battle? What areas are hard for you in the fight to be faithful to God? How can we be each other’s battle buddy?

Keep It Going

Related passages: These additional verses will help parents expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 119:32

2 Timothy 4:7