April 2009 Devotion

The Curse of Complacency

Praise be to the Lord our God! May His name be lifted up and glorified in all the earth! For the Lord our God is holy and worthy of all our devotion and all our worship. Let us never forget to turn to Him in all things, and to trust in Him to guide our lives through any and all circumstances. May the Lord be with you this month of April as you seek to draw closer to Him. Let nothing stand in the way of your relationship with God Almighty, for there is nothing better in life than a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

Indeed, let NOTHING stand in our way! We are constantly tempted to become complacent in our faith; to be satisfied with the status quo. On the straight and narrow path to God there are many opportunities to turn to the left or to the right, and we constantly find excuses to do so. We lose our focus and our purpose in life and in God. Yet He has called us to more than that. He has called us to live radically and fully dedicated to Him, and every day counts! Are we actively seeking God? Do we commit every day to Him? We are called to live above and beyond the call of duty; do we take that call seriously?

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not earthly things... Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and have put on your new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." - Colossians 3:1-10

Our trek toward God is a daily process; every day we are presented with decisions that can bring us closer to Him or lead us away. The question is, which decisions will keep us on the straight and narrow? More often than not we know the answers and we know how to execute them, yet we hold back. Why? Are we afraid? Afraid of what? Getting to know God better? Leaving behind our sins and doubts for something so much more satisfying? Stepping out in faith? Dear God, save us from our cowardice! Save us from our complacency and our fears, that we may seek You unhindered!

God has called us to be HOLY and FEARLESS. He has called us to be more than we think we can be; to despise sin and actively seek to expunge it from our lives; to love others with a radical love that no one else in this world can offer. If we cannot find that love, strength and peace within ourselves, then maybe it is time to take a deep breath and closely examine our faith. We constantly need to return to Christ to receive fresh perspective about our faith and our daily actions. We must live as closely to God as we possibly can. The only way to do so is to trust and obey. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:25-26)

Seek God, therefore, with all your heart! May the Lord richly bless you as you set aside the corrupt things of this world for His Name's sake, and may He draw you ever more deeply into His presence! Be blessed.

Brad Zimmerman
RUC Chaplain
Junior, Global Business major