Can we really grow stronger when life is impossible? In this world we will have trouble. But we can take heart because Christ has overcome the world. How can we do that? How can we thrive and not merely survive?
I’m not going to tell you it’s easy or “just follow these 5 steps”.
I’m going to let you know how I’ve learned to do it. This has been learned and earned. This is not theory.
I’m Trevor Lund, content creator for RevTrev.com and the founder of Live LIGHT Academy on LiveLIGHT.ca This is the Live LIGHT LIVECast.
Listen to how to grow stronger when life seems impossible
Read to how to grow stronger when life seems impossible
All of us have our own story and all of us are on our own journey. It’s great when we don’t have to walk it alone.
Maybe something in my story will connect in something in yours.
I was a young pastor at an amazing church and I felt God asked me to leave my family and friends and future on the altar and move to New Zealand without any reason beyond obedience. The heaven’s didn’t open when I stepped onto the soil. My dad was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS and was given a short time to live. And it wasn’t long until we felt we should return home and be with family. It took me some time before I realized I was living offended at God. He set me up and I didn’t have a language to explain how I felt. He was the potter, I was the clay, I was the work of his hands…and I didn’t like being thrown and re-thrown and re-thrown and re-thrown onto the wheel to be reformed again and again and again.
When I realized I could be offended at God, I realized I could repent of that and he healed me.
I was back to being a pastor and there’s a whole lot of story to that, but remember that in this world you will have trouble. I remember speaking a message and sitting down and then sensing a menacing voice say “that’s the last sermon you’re ever going to give.” I brushed it off, but a few days later, had a heart attack.
And since then, it’s been doctor’s appointments and medication to get on and off, and tests showed nothing and solutions that didn’t work and not just MD’s Cardiologist, but Dermatologist and Neurologists and Gastroenterologist and I started wearing reading glasses and using hearing aids.
And so it’s had to become intentional for me. I needed to know how not just survive, but somehow to thrive.
What do you do when you’re faced with the realities of life - however brutal or enigmatic.
You and I need to know how to take up our positions, stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord.
These are decisions I need to make daily because I’ve not just learned them, I’ve earned them.
Take up your position and STAND Tool
S - Stop giving God credit for the works of the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy. - John 10:10
T- Treat all hardship as discipline knowing He is a good Father and will work all things together for good. - Hebrews 12:7-11
A - Agree to cast all your cares upon him, because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7
N- Never forget that the God of all hope fills you with all peace and joy as you trust in him, so that you can overflow with hope by the power of Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
D - Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything and thank him in all things, knowing that’s his will for you. - Philippians 4:6-7
Challenge
This is not Christian stoicism. It’s not about having a stiff-upper lip and ignoring your emotions. Your emotions show you what you actually believe.
Pay attention to what your emotions show you about what you really believe. For example, if I don’t have peace, I know there’s a good chance I’m not trusting God.
Where has your peace been, where has your hope been, where has your joy been lately?
Let your emotions show you what you are actually believing.
Next Steps
Live LIGHT Above the Negativity Course.
Move from being easily regularly frustrated, usually feeling busy, often afraid or easily angered TO having peace at all times and in every situation. Learn to Live LIGHT Above the Negativity with your whole heart
Strongholds can be good and necessary. In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, it’s crucial to build up strongholds that can withstand the storms of life. But what if I told you that not all strongholds are created equal? We should know how to tear down strongholds. Do we know how to build good strongholds up? Learn how with the message How to build up Strongholds that are Good and Necessary
Read how to build up strongholds that are good and necessary
Strongholds are a curious thing. We generally think of them as bad, but we’re missing out of the fullness of scripture.
Here’s how I understand strongholds…
5 principles to Understand Strongholds
A stronghold is “a way of thinking that protects thoughts and actions.”
A stronghold is bad when it protects thoughts and actions that sets themselves up against the knowledge of Christ. Those strongholds need to be torn down (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Revelatory truth is what tears down those strongholds.
A stronghold is a good thing when it protects Godthoughtsand good actions. God is our stronghold so every good stronghold reinforces and facilitates greater revelation and continuing revelation of God (Ephesians 1:15-20). It’s only done by the grace of God, and it strengthens our trust in God. God’s revelation establishes and strengthens good strongholds.
A stronghold influences our whole heart - our intellect, our emotions and our actions. It’s with our whole heart that we help strengthen or tear down strongholds. Our heart needs to align with God’s heart. Our emotions show us what we actually believe.
Because we have His grace, we need to position ourselves withour whole heart to receive His revelation. We need to make space for Him to reveal himself as God and as good. We do this with His power working through us (1 Corinthians 15:10) This is nothing we can do by our own will or determination.
Let’s start with how Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount…
Matthew 7:12-29 NLT “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Can I pray?
What do we build on the rock?
Something that can withstand the floods and the wind. In this world you will have trouble (the way is narrow and the road is difficult)…but take heart, He has overcome the world. We needs good strongholds for the storms of life.
You need the revelation of God for that. Your role is to go after it with your whole heart - your thoughts, your emotions and your actions. His glory is to surprise and bless you with revelation.
It’s the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of Kings to seek it out. Proverbs 25:2
What I mean by revelation is not something we can convince ourselves with. It’s not that we can “will it to be true”. It’s not if we say it enough we’ll convince ourselves. It’s not meditation or memorization - although those will lead to revelation.
Revelation is God unveiling truth directly to us in a way we understand to make us know with our heart - our intellect, our emotions and are actions. It’s like spinning iron filings coming into a strong magnetic field and suddenly every lines us and everything makes sense.
We still need to work through the revelation. I still have more to learn about the whole heart, but the day I that penny dropped a whole new world of understanding was unveiled for me. Something I wasn’t thinking about radically and permanently changed my life. That’s why I had to get up early and fix this message because it made so much more sense to think about our role in revelation with our whole heart.
When we know something with our whole heart, it’s a stronghold in our life. That can be a very positive thing, in fact, it will be life.
The Problem with Strongholds
The problem with strongholds most of us in the church have no idea that stronghold can be good. We only know them as bad. I’ve created at tool to help people tear down strongholds. But I’ve realized that not all strongholds are bad and that we need strongholds that are good we need to know how to strengthen them.
Let’s look at these examples about strongholds being good and necessary.
2 Samuel 22:3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my saviour; you save me from violence.
Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
Psalms 8:2
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Psalm 9:9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 37:39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
Psalms 43:2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?
Psalms 52:7 “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!”
Psalm 144:2 He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
Joel 3:16
The Lord roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.
Proverb 10:29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe
Psalm 94:22 But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.
Psalm 46:7, 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
Psalm 62:2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.
So what do I do build up God as my stronghold?
That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked. The question actually is How do I build on the rock?
God is always revealing his will and good pleasure. Yes, there will be seasons God is quiet, just don’t be the reason for season God is quiet for you. Here’s how you avoid that.
How to Build On the Rock
- How to put yourself in position to receive more and more of His revelation.
REVELATION
R - Revel in the Word John 15:7
E - Employ the Testimony of Jesus Psalm 103:2
V - Value His Presence James 4:8
E - Evaporate Worry Psalm 27:1
L -Learn to Listen Isaiah 30:15
A - Agree with Others Hebrews 10:25
T - Turn to Confession and Repentance 1 John 1:8-10
I - Imitate Christ 1 Peter 2:19-21
O -Obey what He tells you to do John 14:15-21
N - Never forget about gratitude 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
R - Revel in the Word
John 15:7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
How do you relish the word? Read it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Do what you can do.
It doesn’t become the very word of God until He reveals the truth in it for you. But you can prepare yourself to receive revelation. Once he does reveal it, no part of the rain or wind or life will ever convince you it’s not true.
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Can you ask Holy Spirit to give you the revelation of the written word? Maybe you could ask Him to remind you of your first love for His word?
How is Holy Spirit prompting me to revel the Word?
E - Employ the Testimony of Jesus
Psalm 103:2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
The saints overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of His testimony. (Revelation 12:1). The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy (Revelation 19:10).
When testimony is about Jesus, it invites Him to do it again. We can testify with our worries, with our fears and with our complaints and invite the enemy to do it again.
I’m not saying, “slap on your happy face.” Or “Fake it until you make it.” I’m saying “Know where you can bring your worries and cares and complaints.” It’s not to others who aren’t prepared to bear your burden. I’ll get where you can bring your worries in a moment.
Right now we’re talking about testimony. Testimony about Jesus builds our faith that He will do it again. If He did it for them, He can do it for us.
Can you ask Holy Spirit to reveal the Testimony of Jesus as a stronghold in your life? When you get that supernatural revelation you don’t believe the testimony of a fallen world that has yet to be redeemed. You believe the testimony of Jesus that says, “If he did it before, he can do it again. If he did it for them, he will do it for me.
And you’ll say with the psalmist:
Psalm 9:9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Am I employing the testimony of Jesus?
V - Value His Presence
James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
We put value in His presence with praise and worship, in stillness and in awe, with loud voices and in quiet reflection. It’s not just for when we gather Sunday morning, it’s in the day-to-day of everyday. God is always with us. Will you be with Him?
Look at what it says In Psalm 8:
Psalms 8:2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
God has put a stronghold through the praise of Children and infants. He inhabits the praises of His people. It’s in His presence that revelation occurs. It’s there that you know that you know that you know that you’re loved. It’s in his presence that it’s the fullness of joy.
Do I value His presence in the day-to-day of everyday?
E - Evaporate Worry
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Where do you take your worries, your fears and your complaints? Peter tells us to
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Because HE cares for you, He cares about your worries and your cares. Prayer is that place where we take our worries and cares and exchange them for His peace.
That happens because when we see our worries and concerns in light of the Father of light, we know we can trust Him and as we trust Him we get peace and hope and joy.
Do you need a revelation of peace and hope and joy? When we have that revelation, we never want to give it up.
Do I cast my cares on the Lord?
L - Learn to Listen
Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.
You can’t talk when you listen.
Jesus had crowds follow him before his time, so he talked about his blood being real drink and his body real food…and the crowds left and he asked his disciples if they were going to leave as well.
John 6:68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.
When you get the revelation that God’s words are real life, eternal life, you want to shut up and listen for a while.
Have you had that revelation? If you have, it’s calling for you again. If you haven’t, ask Holy Spirit to make the very words of God life for you.
Don’t forget 2 Samuel 22:3: My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my saviour; you save me from violence.
Do I make space to listen to God?
A -Agree with Others
Hebrews 10:24-25 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Revelation happens when we gather because when two or three are gathered in his name He is there (Matthew 18:20).
Where he is acknowledge as present, revelation can occur.
Look at what Jesus is saying in these verses:
Matthew 18:18-20 AMP I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”
Together, we can see the wisdom and knowledge of God. It’s not that you and agree God needs to do something, it’s that you and I agree God has already loosed it our bound it in heaven. We’re agreeing that His will that is done perfectly in heaven, will be done perfectly on earth.
We do this TOGETHER. This is amazing. We don’t know it on our own. We need to know it together.
God is everywhere, all the time, all at once. But there’s something amazing that happens when we KNOW we have it together.
Revelation is not just for you. The revelation of the knowledge of God is for us together.
Psalms 37:39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble
Do I make space for a greater revelation of God together?
T - Turn to Confession and Repentance
1 John 1:8-10 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
If you want revelation from God, it is only by His grace and His grace is sufficient for you. It’s by His grace you can confess your sins and repent of your ways. There is no sin he cannot set you free from. He empowers us to accomplish every good work prompted by faith. That is his grace in action.
Keep short accounts with God. If you feel him tugging at you, respond to him today. Don’t let sin separate you from the blessing of the revelation God has for you.
Proverb 10:29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.
Do I need to confess and repent of anything?
I - Imitate Christ
1 Peter 2:19-21 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
Christ suffered for us and left us an example so we can follow in his steps. Look at the realness of Psalm 43.
Psalms 43:2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?
Psalms state emotional truth, not necessarily theological truth. Can we feel like God has rejected us? Oh yes. But it’s an emotional statement, not a theological one. That’s why we need to:
R - Revel in the Word
E - Employ Testimony about Jesus
V - Value His Presence
E - Evaporate Worry
L - Learn to Listen
A - Agree with Others
T - Turn to Confession and Repentance
Because God can meet us in our pain and give us greater revelation of His goodness, but I don’t see that happen much to people who are bitter towards him.
Joel 3:16 The Lord roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.
Am I resisting becoming more and more like Jesus?
O - Obey what He tells you to do
John 14:15-21 “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
If you want greater revelation of God and His ways, obey what he’s told you to do. Obey what’s in His word. Love. Obey those prompts he gives you to actually love.
Psalm 144:2 He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
Do I obey what He tells me to do?
N - Never forget about gratitude
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Gratitude opens us up for so much including a greater and greater revelation of God. When we are thankful for what he’s given us… it is his good pleasure to give us more.
What good strongholds has God put in your life that you know that you know that you know are true? You might have memorized the scriptures or read the books or underlined the verses, but there was divine revelation to make it a stronghold in your life. These only come about by His revelation.
Maybe it’s something that I mentioned today - Maybe you KNOW the Bible is true and life. Maybe it’s the testimony of Jesus, Maybe it’s His presence that you know always brings you joy. Perhaps it’s prayer that YOU KNOW changes things. Maybe it’s His voice, maybe it’s community, maybe it’s his forgiveness, maybe it’s HIM. Maybe it’s obedience or maybe it’s gratitude or maybe it’s something you heard as a whisper that shouted to your soul.
Be grateful for that revelation. Revel in His revelation. It puts you in good stead for more.
God is our stronghold. An ever-present help in trouble. The wind and the waves will come. Be sure you are built on the rock.
Am I grateful for my current revelation?
Conclusion
It’s the revelation of God that creates good strongholds in us that can stand against the waves and wind of life. It is by his grace and it’s nothing we deserve, but we can position ourselves for greater and greater revelation of him. We need to work with our whole heart to position ourselves to receive ongoing revelation from God.
The Live LIGHT LOOP celebrates all things Live LIGHT - including the books, and courses, and resources, and community and coaching that can be found on https://livelight.ca/
As someone who has been accused of prompting toxic gratitude, I know I should let you know how to spot and stop it in your own life. You don't need to worry about toxic gratitude if you know how to give thanks with your whole heart.
As someone who has been accused of prompting toxic gratitude, I know I should let you know how to spot and stop it in your own life. You don't need to worry about toxic gratitude if you know how to give thanks with your whole heart.
What is toxic gratitude?
That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked. I get accused of promoting it.
I’m Trevor Lund, content creator for RevTrev.com and the founder of Live LIGHT Academy on LiveLIGHT.ca This is the Live LIGHT LIVECast.
{Intro}
I get accused of promoting toxic gratitude and toxic positivity.
And while I agree that both of them do exist, I don’t agree I promote them.
They exist because I’ve seen them.
I see them in church circles, where we ignore our pain with platitudes and we don’t make use of the powerful laments available to us.
I’ve seen where that out-of-context Scripture verse is given priority over our reality.
I’ve seen…and I’ve said, “I AM trusting God” but then I worry about this and that or I’m concerned about whatever or I’m worried that I’m concerned because I know when I trust God I should have His peace.
That’s cognitive dissonance - saying I believe something, but not feeling like I really believe it.
How do you spot and and how do you stop toxic gratitude
What is toxic gratitude?
Toxic gratitude forces people to breeze past their pain in search of a silver lining, whether or not one exists.
We are called to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. It’s not about slapping some silly smile on your face and pretending nothing is wrong when it is really wrong.
I will not give God credit for the works of the one who comes to kill steal and destroy. I will treat all hardship as discipline knowing He is a good Father and that He is working all things together for good. I will agree to cast my cares on Him because He cares for me. I will never forget the God of all hope fills me with peace and joy as I trust in Him, so I can overflow with hope by the power of Holy Spirit. I will worry about nothing, pray about everything and thank Him in all things because it is His will for me.
Toxic gratitude happens when we don’t give thanks with our whole heart.
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart. Psalm 9:1
What does that look like when we are facing bad news or a brutal reality? It’s got to mean more than slapping on a smile and having a toxic fake-it-til-you-make-it attitude. Here’s what it means to me.
- the seat of our decision - I can choose to give thanks
- The seat of our actions - I can show appreciation.
- The seat of our emotions - I can FEEL grateful.
And the amazing thing is that any one - the decision or the action or the emotion - can lead to the other two.
I can FEEL grateful in a moment and when I feel grateful I can remember to thank God and worship him. I need to do that to give thanks with my whole heart.
Giving thanks with your whole heart is how you stop toxic gratitude.
It eliminates cognitive dissonance.
I can feel grateful and respond, or I can choose to give thanks, then show appreciation and then feel grateful.
OR I can show someone appreciation, feel grateful and then remember to give thanks.
A great example of this is when I show appreciation to God. When worship God for who is he is, I remember to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise and I feel grateful when I worship God because I see him more clearly for who he is.
I have several tools to help you grow in gratitude, because it is a game changer. Today, check out the Live LIGHT Gratitude Journal. It’s designed to help you give thanks with your whole heart. You can download the PDF or get the Perfect bound print version by going to https://revtrev.link/gratitude
And yes, I’m back. The plan is to do live casts and podcasts on Wednesday and the Live LIGHT LOOP on Fridays.
Complacency is all too easy of a trap to fall into. Being too comfortable can stop us from moving forward in our personal and spiritual growth. We'll explore scripture and debunk seven myths that make us complacent. It's time to break free from these shackles of mediocrity and discover the path towards becoming more and more like Jesus.
Read Shattering the 7 myths that lead to Complacency
I’m going to start with a question you don’t need to respond to, but it’s good for us to think about.
Do you have some jiggle in your wiggle in your spiritual life?
All of us go through different season. All of us are on different parts of the path. I trust we’ve all had times that we felt so close, so loved, so precious to God. Times when .we knew what we were created for - to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If you haven’t had those times, you need to have those times. If you haven’t had those times in a while, you need to have them again and more often.
If we don’t take the time to examine our lives every now and again, it’s easy for us to become complacent.
Complacency robs your soul. You know that’s true. You’ve gone through the motions. You have felt fatigued, bored, in a rut, or no purpose.
There is hope for you today.
Can I pray?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines complacency as, “self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”
Complacency is dangerous because it is easy. All you have to do is sit back and go with the flow.
To go against the flow requires work and conflict might be involved. To be complacent is to get along. Complacency doesn’t require discipline. It doesn’t require accountability. It doesn’t require action.
And because of that it is all too often our default mode. And we don’t see the danger it brings.
We can’t be complacent with spiritual life and godliness.
You either are growing closer to Christ and maturing in His ways or you are drifting away. This means we can’t be complacent in our devotional life or our spiritual disciplines. We have to work at them with all the strength He provides.
Here’s what happens…
If you don’t read your Bible, it’s hard to start reading your Bible. When you practice disciple of reading your Bible, it becomes easier and easier and more and more natural to do it.
If you don’t pray more than just for your meals, it’s hard to “pray always and never give up” (Luke 18:1). But when you start praying, and enter his gates with thanksgiving and enter his courts with praise and you learn to exchange your problems for his peace…The more you do it, the more you want to do it. It’s what you’ve been created for.
If you’ve ever fasted from food for an extended period of time, after about 4 days you don’t feel like eating. When you break an extended fast like that, trust me, don’t break fast with greasy hamburger, don’t have steak for your first meal, bacon and eggs and pancakes don’t work well…this is all coming from my own personal experience. Experience tells me…start with soup.
My encouragement for you restarting all spiritual disciplines is the same. If you’ve fasted from reading the Bible or fasted from prayer or fasted from whatever Holy Spirit has put in your heart to do- don’t jump back in with an ambitious plan. You’ll have all kinds of hurt you can avoid.
Paul told Timothy:
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16 (NIV)
So that’s what we’re looking at today. Life that will come from our doctrine.
Why 7 Myths?
I came up with this title for a book I was thinking about writing for some time. But as I study for this message, I realized these aren’t 7 Myths that can lead us to Complacency. They are 7 strongholds that can lead us to and keep us in complacency. These are just the ones that come from my own experience.
Remember a stronghold is “a way of thinking that protects our thoughts and actions.” A stronghold can be a good thing:
The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
the godly run to him and are safe. Proverbs 18:10
That’s a good “way of thinking that protects our thoughts and actions.” When our experience doesn’t line up with the promises of scripture, it’s good for us to return those promises and remember what happened when He cemented those promises into our soul. We can’t wish them into being. He has to fortify them in our heart. When he has, you can remember what was happening when you knew you would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, so you could be strong and not lose heart and you could wait for the Lord. Testimony affirms strongholds. If I’ve seen him turn THAT into good, I know he will turn THIS for the good… I don’t know how, but I know he will.
Strongholds can be very, very good.
But more often than not strongholds may have the appearance of truth but in fact they protect the thoughts and actions of the enemy who comes to kill, still and destroy. And hey, if he can make you complacent, that’ leads to the same result. Complacency robs your soul.
CS Lewis wrote the Screwtapes Letter during World War 2. The full book was published in 1942. Written in defence of the Christian faith, this popular satire consists of a series of 31 letters in which Screwtape, an experienced devil, instructs his young charge, Wormwood, on effective strategies for tempting the human being assigned to him and making sure he continues on a steady path toward damnation.
Screwtapes write in Chapter 7…
I had not forgotten my promise to consider whether we should make the patient an extreme patriot or an extreme pacifist. All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged. Not always, of course, but at this period. Some ages are lukewarm and complacent, and then it is our business to soothe them yet faster asleep. Other ages, of which the present is one, are unbalanced and prone to faction, and it is our business to inflame them.
WW II - Factions
Post Covid 2023 - Factions AND complacency.
The enemy uses strongholds and often they are based in Scripture. Satan quoted scripture to tempt Jesus. Here’s a few strongholds that may look like truth, and even originate in truth, but in fact they lead to complacency. Good news is strongholds are upheld or broken with truth.
7 Myths (Strongholds) that lead to Complacency
1. God brings about revival in His sovereignty.
Truth:
God is sovereign (Ephesians 1:11) meaning He can anything he wants to do, whenever he wants to do it. That hardly ever means we don’t have a role to play (Isaiah 30:15).
If we believe God is going to do it all, we can easily become complacent.
2. I need to wait for God’s perfect timing.
Truth:
The timing of God is real (Acts 3:2). But there are also times we receive as child (Mathew 6:5-6) and there is time we need to war for breakthrough (Mathew 7:7).
If you don’t know what season you’re in, try to receive like a child sitting on His Father’s lap. If that doesn’t work, start asking and keep asking, start seeking and keep seeking, start knocking and keep knocking.
If we believe we need to wait for God, regardless of the season, we can become complacent.
3. I am the way God made me.
Truth:
He knit you together in your mother’s womb and ordained all the days of your life before any of them came to be (Psalm 139:16) but He was come so you can be born again and finishes the good work He’s started in you so you can become more and more like Jesus.
If we believe we don’t have to change…that’s kind of the definition of complacent.
4. God’s love is unconditional.
I’ve looked it up…unconditional love is not in the book.
Truth:
God chooses to love us all with a love that is patient and kind and not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.(1 Cor 13:4-5). But he favours us differently (Romans 9:13)
So assume you’re His favourite.
If we believe we don’t have to live up to what we’ve already attained, we can become complacent.
5. Being busy is just who I am
Truth:
You were created to walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day and in all you do, to work as unto the Lord. Busy-ness came in after the fall.
If we believe being busy is a good thing, we easily slip into complacency.
6. God is creating a new earth, so I don’t need to care for this one.
Truth:
God gave us dominion to steward (Genesis 1:28), not subjugate His creation.
If we believe this world is immaterial, we aren’t helping anything to change. We stay complacent.
7. I am not enough
Truth:
God takes delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He rejoices over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17) You are who He says you are and He gave His life for you (Romans 5:8-9).
If we have an ungodly self image, we wallow in complacency.
Complacency kills your soul.
So how do you get out of complacency?
That’s a great question. I’m so glad you asked. I had to fight for this answer this week.
Break off the Complacency Tool
REKINDLE def: relight (a fire). revive (something that has been lost).
R - Remove Strongholds - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
E - Examine everything - Proverbs 25:2
K - Know God’s vision for your life - Amos 9:11
I - Ignite a passion for God - Amos 5:4-6
N - Notice comparison hurts- 2 Corinthians 10:12
D - Delight in refreshing others - Proverbs 11:25
L - Learn to be content - Philippians 4:12-13
E - Enjoy work without celebrating being busy - Colossians 3:23-24
What does that mean? Let’s unpack it now.
R - Remove Strongholds
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Starts with Confession and Repentance. When God shows you a stronghold…when you think about not only what you think about but also HOW you think about what you think about…he’ll show you what strongholds need to come down.
What does God want me to confess and repent from?
E - Examine everything
It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them. Proverbs 25:2
Stay curious.
1. Curiosity keeps the brain active and reduces the risk of cognitive decline.
2. Curious people are happier.
3. Curiosity boosts achievement.
4. Curiosity can expand our empathy.
5. Curiosity helps strengthen relationships.
6. Curiosity improves our ability to cope with difficult situations, such as rejection
7. Curiosity can help to relieve boredom.
8. Being curious can increase positivity.
9. Curiosity can improve problem solving skills.
10. Being curious can increase knowledge and work performance.
11. Being curious may reduce anxiety.
Stay curious.
How can I spark my curiosity?
K - Know God’s vision for your life
Amos 9:11 “In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory.
God tends to give big pictures like this…. Read to the end of the book. He wins. We may not understand it, but we know we can trust Him to make it right.
The Bible doesn’t suggest we change the world. Paul tells wives to not divorce unbelieving husbands. He tell slaves to get free if the can; but if they can’t be the best slave you can be. He tells us to make it our ambition to lead the quiet life; to work with our hands so that we’re not reliant on anyone.
Jesus called his 12 apostles- using the name of a Roman General sent in to change the culture. Apostle change culture. Our church culture has us believing that we should all change culture. I don’t see that in the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament. If we respected true apostles as true apostles; they would be better situated to change culture.
God’s vision for your life isn’t a calling or a position or a skill or a gift. It can be all those things or none of those things. All of those things make it possible, with what He works through you, to fulfill God’s vision for you. What is that?
His vision for you is for you to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Can I glorify God and enjoy Him today?
I - Ignite a passion for God
Amos 5:4-6 NIV This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba, For Gilgal will surely go into exile and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire; it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they had forgotten their first love and that they needed to repent and to do the things the did at first. He told his disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added.
Am I seeking the Lord to live?
N - Notice Comparison hurts
2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
Comparison can lead to complacency. Cut out comparison. It’s a spiral. When you start going down…. stop it with gratitude.
Giving thanks for what you have and who you are cuts out the power comparison has to lead us to complacency.
Am I comparing myself to anyone?
D - Delight in refreshing others
Proverbs 11:25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
When we cut ourselves off from others, it’s moves us towards complacency. The wounds from a friend should be something that grows us.
When we want to get out of a funk; the fastest way to is to consider others ahead of ourselves. When you put others ahead of yourself, perspective change.
Who can I refresh?
L - Learn to be content
Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV) 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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Sometime we lose our contentment when we refuse to obey something Holy Spirit has told us to do. We slip into complacency because we’re not willing to take that next step of faith. Contentment is by faith. Complacency gets destroyed by faith.
Am I content in any and every situation?
E - Enjoy work without celebrating being busy
Colossians 3:23-24 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
Complacency can come in when you’re too busy OR when you’re not being busy enough. Basically, when you’re not about your Father’s business…when you’re not working as unto the Lord…it’s easy to slip into being complacency.
Am I working as unto the Lord?
Break off the Complacency Tool
REKINDLE def: relight (a fire). revive (something that has been lost).
R - Remove Strongholds
What does God want me to confess and repent from?
E - Examine everything
How can I spark my curiosity?
K - Know God’s vision for your life
Can I glorify God and enjoy Him today?
I - Ignite a passion for God
Am I seeking the Lord to live?
N - Notice comparison hurts
Am I comparing myself to anyone?
D - Delight in refreshing others
Who can I refresh?
L - Learn to be content
Am I content in any and every situation?
E - Enjoy work without celebrating being busy
Am I working as unto the Lord?
Make space for Holy Spirit to speak.
1) Do I enjoy time with God? Why or why not?
2) Am I actively listening for God’s direction in my life?
3) Am I afraid to take that next step of obedience?
