I like holey socks
- Brooke
- Jan 13, 2018
- 5 min read
I have a favorite pair of fuzzy socks. I wear them all the time. They're comfortable, cute and cozy. Everything a "lazy day" pair of fuzzy socks should be! Recently they acquired a hole in the heel of one sock and the toe of another. I was quite sad...and continued to wear them around the house just because I simply didn't care.
Plus, who even notices your socks?! Who cares?!
I am who I am.
Accept me for who I am.
It is what it is.
Those phrases have become very popular in society today. Recently I've been personally convicted by areas in my life that need improvement.The various thoughts pertaining to this subject have been swirling around in my brain and
I had an itch to write about them!
Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are, whether their lifestyle is glorifying to God or not.
Christians especially, seem to fall into the mindset that once they become a Christian, they earn themselves a
"Get to Heaven Free Card",
there they can just sit back,
enjoying their life to the fullest,
doing whatever they please.
If you do not accept them for who they are and try to lovingly point out certain areas in their life that where they are in sin, perhaps they lash out at you saying,
"You don't accept me for who I am?".
When in fact, the very reason that you are trying to help edify them and point out areas where they need to improve,
is because you love them.
“But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
In convincing ourselves that we have reached a point of spiritual satisfaction in which we are comfortable with our faith and do not feel the need to move any further toward pleasing God and getting out of our comfort zone,
We have lost the battle.
We have been deceived by the Enemy and he has won.
A complacent person does not want to be told what to do. They don't want to hear the areas in their life that are failing.
Who does? No one wants to be told that.
Change is hard.
Others around us notice that we have become stagnant and ignorant to our condition,
they notice that we are no longer producing fruits or moving forward in our walk with Christ.
It becomes a shadow on our Christianity,
a "dimmer" on our Light for Christ.
“Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain on the brain.
The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are.
The second is rejection of things as they might be.
‘Good enough’ becomes today’s watchword and tomorrow’s standard.
Complacency makes people fear the unknown, mistrust the untried, and abhor the new.
Like water, complacent people follow the easiest course — downhill.
They draw false strength from looking back.”
C.S. Lewis, in “The Screwtape Letters”, wrote that,
“a moderated religion is as good as no religion at all…”
It seems to line up with Revelation 3:16
where it talks about being "lukewarm" in our faith.
I believe that many of us would even admit that we are
lukewarm and complacent...
but, are we willing to do anything about it?
We simply want to live our life as easily and effortlessly as possible, in ignorance of the sin issues that we have.
We tend to listen to the Devil telling us that the work that’ is
required to keep growing closer to Christ is too much for us to fit into our busy schedule,
and “we are doing just fine as we are",
that we should be "Accepted for who we are"!
When in fact, the very areas where we are struggling, are hurting our Christian testimonies.
The areas that we have become lukewarm in are NOT glorifying God
and they are dimming our Light for Him...
"I know your deeds—that you are neither cold nor hot...
So, because you are lukewarm...
I will spit you out of My mouth. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.
So be zealous, and repent." (Revelation 3:15-21)
Jesus gives the lukewarm lazy congregation of Laodicea two simple steps to change their sad condition:
(1) Admission of their situation ("repentance")
(2) Sincere change of behavior ("be zealous").
We can come up with endless excuses,
trying to justify our weaknesses and "pet sins",
in order to make ourselves feel just a tad better about avoiding the scripture that we claim to know.
We also like to point fingers toward other circumstances and people in order to place blame on them
for making us so busy, however,
Galatians 6:5 clearly says
"for we are each responsible for our own conduct."
We are the ones who will stand before God on Judgement Day and answer for our actions, good or bad, great or small.
Not our boss, not our parents, not our spouse, not our kids,
or friends, or even our Pastor.
YOU will give an account for every thought, word, and deed that has you have ever committed.
Pretty scary isn't it?
We should never end the daily struggle against spiritual complacency until we’re in Heaven with Christ.
I think that is precisely the key to this struggle.
The main way that we can show our love for HIM and
bring Glory to His Name is when we continually fight
to die to self, and LIVE victoriously in Him.
Never lose sight of something that ignites your zeal again,
something that gives your heart a little extra passion, something that gives you a reason to thank Him.
So, take a step back.
Examine your priorities, your desires, and the condition of your faith and relationship with God.
All of these are factors in
a complacent lukewarm Christian life,
or a God honoring, thriving Christian life.
When was the last time you examined your life and asked God where you needed to improve?
It is up to you, and only you, to combat your complacency, find your motivation,
your renewed zeal for Jesus,
adjust your attitude,
and have a view of Christ that gives Him nothing but
top priority in your life!
Be compelled to worship, driven to serve, and eager to work toward the life that God calls you to live so that you may constantly bring Glory to Him and lead others to Him through your life!
Know that non-Christians can look at you and see the constant battle against the flesh and how Jesus gives you daily victory to keep moving forward.
Pray that God will give you the strength to put your fleshly desires behind you for the sake of His glory!
Back to my original story, I know it's quite a stretch but, don't keep wearing the same old holey socks!
Improve! Grow! Be renewed!
Don't grow complacent...stagnant, lazy or boring!
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
Matthew 16:24
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