Beyond Complacency to Making a Difference as a Christian

Let me take you back to a place in time we will not soon forget. Let us pretend for a minute that you are there, your family is there, and your home is there – everything you know and love – is there. You are sitting in scared silence, with your lights out and your blinds drawn – as if not to attract attention to yourself. You are a Jew and you are going to be killed. As you hear the screams of your neighbors and then the powerful gun shots getting closer and closer, you are thinking to yourself, “Why didn’t somebody do something?” Then the truck stops, the boots stomp, and the fists pound. Your father is grabbed violently and thrown from your apartment balcony, only to hit the cobblestone street three stories below a second later. A soldier pulls a gun out and your mother is shot, your brother is shot, your sister is shot, and then the gun turns to you. The trigger is pulled back, and it’s over.

To this day the question you asked is still pondered and pondered some more. In the mean time similar events still take place. Bombs still go off in Iraq, guns still kill in the Sudan, and our inner cities still continue to fall to despair and ruin. While most are left to ponder and perhaps revere in there wisdom of what someone could have done, a few are out there doing it. They are being that somebody and doing that something. They have defied the strongholds of complacency and apathy and stepped into the danger zone. They have heeded the call of their leader with utmost abandon and a strange delight, and there is no going back. Of course they fall and fail and when they are done failing, they fail again. But amongst the failure are the successes that make the pain of failure worth it all.

When you take a step back (assuming that we’ve stopped pretending) and examine this group, you realize that these people are just ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are different from the rest because of one reason; they have stopped asking “Why doesn’t somebody do something?” and instead have asked themselves, “Why don’t I do something?” In so doing, they have become today’s heroes.

You ask them why and how they can do these things and they tell you something you’ve heard before, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” Then you make another realization - that you can and should do it too.

- Inspired by God, written by Joe

Frustrated! How do I overcome complacency??

I'm frustrated. I'm in a trap and I can't get out. Let me tell you about it. See, I want to make a difference in this world... I would love to make a BIG difference, but I'd be content in knowing I was at least making SOME difference. And I guess maybe at times I do, but most of the time I'm pretty darn sure I don't.

Why? because, I, like most people (I'm mostly referring to Christians here) have become complacent. Most people in the US at least. From what I understand, people in countries where things aren't going so well are a little more on "fire" about there faith than we here in the US. Funny how that works. Things start going well and we forget about God.

Well, maybe that's how it goes for me. Let me give you an example. I needed a job. I was leaning on my own understanding and in all my ways not following God for awhile. So yeah, needless to say things weren't going so hot. And what do I do? Turn to God. How nice of me, I know! *sarcasm*. I ask for help, and I get it. Abundantly so, God came through in miraculous ways (I'll probably talk about that more in an upcoming entry).

I was all excited about starting my new job and being a witness for Jesus Christ. I was convinced that my purpose there was to show my boss and coworkers(quite a few of them) the love of God.

But remember what happens when things go well? We forget about God and we become complacent. We're happy with were we are at and don't like making much extra effort. We forget to pray and read our Bibles more and more.

And that's kinda were I'm at with my job right now. I don't take the stands that I should. I don't try to show God's love the way that I should and I get lazy about doing my work "as unto the Lord." I've, once again, gotten into the horrible trap of complacency. I would like to get out and get out for good. sometimes that seems impossible. I been in this trap countless times. Every time I escape, I'm quickly pulled back in, and sometimes it feels like I've never been out of it.

So here I am. FRUSTRATED! I've created this blog to document my attempted escapes and hopefully to hear from others with similar experiences. Until laters, so long!

-joe

Dear Lord help be go Beyond Complacency!