Texas heat can be oppressive; the humidity, even worse. On September days when the air conditioning unit in my classroom clanged to a stop, that sound marked the immediate end of our school day. With no ventilation in the stuffy, tiny space, who could concentrate? The kids got lethargic, learning came to a halt, and anyone who walked in sensed immediately that the environment had grown stagnant.
You don’t have to be a science teacher to know that the setting I’ve described above is better for the flourishing of fungi than human growth. On days the A/C went out, I’d call the office that made campus decisions, which was miles away from my students’ desks. Administrators would occasionally encourage me to find a way to continue without fresh airflow, but working in the Texas heat in a hospital classroom setting, I knew what the ultimate outcome would be if the kids remained in the room.
I’m no longer a public school teacher, but lately as I’ve prepared Bible study material for my church group, I’ve felt a similar sense of protection over them that I once felt over my students. This feeling has only grown as I’ve spent time in the book of Proverbs, and more recently, as I’ve noticed a potential threat to their spiritual health that reminds me of those days of stale air.
It turns out it’s not only physical health that can be compromised when you stay in a stagnant place. Could complacency in this season be putting your spiritual growth at risk?
Settling for Stale
Over the last few weeks, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this line from Proverbs 1:32–33: “the complacency of fools will destroy them.” The first chapter of Proverbs sets the tone for the rest of the book, contrasting the wise and the foolish. The wise one lives securely (v. 33) and at ease. The fool also experiences a sense of ease, but it’s a false sense of security—he doesn’t recognize the danger he’s in (v. 32). The complacency leads the foolish to face eternal death (v. 32), but those who are faithful experience security forever (v. 33).
As those who live thousands of years after King Solomon penned these Proverbs, it’s easy to get lost in the big categories. After all, if you are in Christ, your eternal salvation is secure in Him (John 10:28–29). But complacency can still bring destruction in your life: it can wreak havoc on your spiritual life, your love for the Lord, and your effectiveness in God’s kingdom.
Flip open a few English dictionaries to get a better sense of the word, and you’ll discover that when you’re complacent:
- Everything seems “good enough.”
- You’re indifferent about the need for improvement.
- You’re unaware of potential dangers.
- You’re participatory, but don’t feel the need to strive for growth.
- You’re content with the way things are.
- You’re comfortable with stagnation.
That last phrase has stuck with me. Comfortable with stagnation.
If my students and I had stayed in the room without air conditioning, eventually we would have adapted. The discomfort would start to ease, and we’d get used to breathing in stale air. If you’ve grown spiritually complacent, you may feel “good enough” about where you’re at right now. But that’s a dangerous place to be because while you may feel comfortable, you’re missing out on the fresh joys and abundant life that are yours in Jesus.
5 Ways to Guarantee Your Spiritual Growth Remains Stagnant
One of the first lessons I learned as a classroom teacher is how difficult it can be to convince someone to engage more when they feel relatively fine with the way things are. That may be where you’re at today—maybe you don’t really see a need to do more than you already are to strive for deeper growth.
If that’s the case, here are five ways to stay spiritually stagnant:
1. Let your leaders do all the work.
You may find that your pastor or Bible study leader is a walking illustration of Psalm 1:2–3: “His delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.” You may spend time with your women’s Bible study leader and see how studying the Bible is clearly the joy of her heart (Jer. 15:16), making her eyes light up (Psalm 19:8). Keep consuming the spiritual meals they prepare, but don’t bother to “eat” your own food.
After all, if your goal is to stay where you are, the last thing you need is to find out firsthand just how sweet the Word it is. (“Sweeter than honey,” Psalm 119:103 says.) Instead, skip reading the Bible passage on your own, studying it further, or reflecting on it during the week. Just keep snacking on the morsels someone else feeds you. After all, who really wants their hunger satisfied (Psalm 107:9)?
2. Avoid aligning your life with the Word.
If you’re going to read the Word and you don’t want to grow, don’t bother applying it (James 1:22). Obedience and submission are good ideas to discuss in a group setting, but intentionally letting truth shape your decisions and actions will change everything. You’ll start to experience God’s power over sin, freedom from long-held lies, and healing in places you never thought possible (John 8:31–32).
You’ll also find that your entire perspective will change. Are you really prepared for that? Because once you begin applying the Bible’s wisdom to your challenging circumstances, you’ll find yourself anchored in the character of God (Psalm 18:2), facing difficulties with hope and purpose (Rom. 15:13), and exuding a deeper, more resilient faith to everyone around you (1 Pet. 1:6–7).
3. Keep away from Christian community.
Start by thinking of your spiritual life as a personal improvement project; remain as separate as possible from the rest of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:25–27). If you must go to church, stay in the main service and avoid smaller groups: Sunday school classes, midweek studies, or community groups of any kind. Some would say you need the church now as much as you did in the first days of your faith (Eph. 4:16), but creating friendships with others would allow them to know you, love you, and lead you into greater maturity (Heb. 10:24–15).
Don’t risk the possibility of genuine connection and the comfort that comes from walking with others who are following Christ. You may end up providing exactly what they need in this season in order to be built up (Eph. 4:29), but who wants the mutual encouragement of a community when you can keep navigating this journey on your own terms?
4. Look out for yourself.
This may be one of the hardest guidelines since Jesus is your example, but focus on serving yourself. Jesus’ attitude is so hard to imitate: He emptied Himself, assumed the form of a servant, and surrendered all He possessed in obedience to the Father (Phil. 2:5–8). Don’t bother to use your God-given gifts or talents for the benefit of the community—after all, sacrificial love is messy (1 Pet. 4:10). Expect others to meet your needs, focus on maintaining control, and you’ll be spared the risks and rewards that come with stepping out in service and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:39).
5. Don’t expect God to move.
Set the bar low—better yet, don’t set it at all. Avoid looking for ways that God might be working in your life or asking Him to answer specific prayers in this season (James 4:2). What could an all-powerful, gracious God really do in your heart, your family, your workplace, or your community (Eph. 3:20)? Look around at the limitations facing you and your world, and keep walking by sight, not by faith (Matt. 17:20).
As long as your focus isn’t fixed on an infinite God or eternity, you won’t have to worry about whether God really will finish what He started, or that He’ll continue growing your love “in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9–10).
A stagnant spiritual life will never sustain you. If you’re ready to take a step to begin breathing in the fresh air of a revitalized walk with Christ, look back to the five points above. Choose one today, and ask the Lord to help you take a step away from complacency and closer to Christ.
Fresh Life
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)
When you read the book of Proverbs, you’ll notice that the foolish person leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes. But the wise person brings a vibrant, invigorating presence to those in his midst. As the Lord breathes new life into your spiritual walk, your growth in Him won’t just impact you—it’ll bring a fresh, life-giving aroma everywhere you go.
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