Content vs. Complacent
A few years ago my husband and I had the opportunity to go to Jordan to meet with Syrian refugees. Our goal was simple - partner with local missionaries to deliver supplies (food, diapers, medicine, etc.) to families in need. The people we met with had fled from Syria, left everything they had, to avoid persecution. Although they were safe in Jordan, life was far from easy. They were legally not allowed to work, so they were completely dependent on others to provide for them. Some worked illegally at the risk of being imprisoned.
We met with several families, but one family in particular really captured my heart. They lived in a small, humble apartment. No furniture, beds, or any amenities we would consider essential. We sat on a concrete floor on opposite sides of the room listening to a father tell us how they lost a child while fleeing from Syria. While his wife served us tea, I noticed she had burn marks on her arms. She was injured while rescuing one of their other children from a burning building. They had been through literal hell. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the immense hardship they experienced.
Despite all of pain they suffered, the father had an infectious joy that made me equally curious and dumbfounded. His family had no money, no possessions, no sense of security from our American standards, and they had lost a child. How is he smiling right now? How is he even functioning?
A moment later he pulled out a Bible. “See! It’s right here!” he said. He began to quote 1 Peter and told us how he spends hours each day reading the Bible and praying. (This is especially amazing because in his culture there are serious repercussions for those who proclaim to be Christian.) He tells us that he has hope, joy, peace, because of the love of Jesus Christ.
This was the first time I witnessed someone having true contentment while facing adversity.
Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” This was a man who was regularly beaten, imprisoned, and ultimately died as a martyr.
Contentment says ‘I will praise God and be thankful in every situation.’
Contentment is purposeful, intentional and mission-focused.
There is a silent enemy of contentment, called complacency.
Complacency says ‘stay comfortable.’
Complacency wants you to believe that your true ambitions are out of reach. Complacency wants you to stay occupied, numbed, entertained - rather than pursue something that will truly fulfill you.
The danger of complacency is we rarely realize we’ve fallen victim, and instead we feel an unhealthy degree of self-satisfaction.
Throughout the years, I’ve coached many people out of complacency. Here are a few key characteristics to help you identify if you are currently in a state of complacency:
Do you regularly feel like you’re on auto-pilot?
Do you have very vague goals/ambitions? (Such as, ‘I just want to be happy.’)
Do you always stay within your comfort zone?
Do you often take action to numb yourself (through social media, television, food, alcohol, etc.)?
You might be wondering, what’s the big deal? What if I’m comfortable being on auto-pilot?
There are several downfalls to staying complacent, but perhaps the most important one to mention is that complacency limits your spiritual growth. You cannot experience all God has to offer while staying in your comfort zone. Bob Goff says it best, “Comfortable people don’t need Jesus, desperate people do.”
In order to experience contentment, you must first be willing to relinquish control. You have to walk that line of ‘I’m trusting in God’ and ‘Holy cow this is scary!’ It is scary to step out of your comfort zone and begin letting God call the shots. What if He asks you to do something you don’t want to do?
My friend in Jordan taught me that true joy does not come from your comfort, security, or safety. True joy and contentment comes from having a loving relationship with Christ and a spirit of thankfulness.
What’s one step you can take today towards becoming more content and less complacent?