The Peril of Complacency
In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and his company are commissioned with the daunting and dangerous task of dispatching a special ring––an object of nefarious power. It is an undertaking riddled with jeopardy and peril. But in just a short amount of time, the perceived success of the initial part of the expedition causes some within the company to relax and forget the formidable and exposed nature of their endeavor. Only a short time into the journey, vigilance gives way to complacency.
This mental leisure leads to a poignant scene in Peter Jackson’s film The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), where the unwitting hobbits teeter into a tavern called The Prancing Pony. Upon entering, their sober acuity is replaced with a lackadaisical spirit as they carelessly indulge in a time of revelry and amusement. Watching from the shadowed corner of the frolicking room is a man who himself is not carousing or joking––but is soberly watching them. Unbeknownst to the hobbits, at the exact time they have lowered their defenses, a vicious group of murderous pursuers are closing in on them. At the apex of the hobbits complacent gaiety, this ranger (who we later know to be Aragorn) whisks the ring-bearer away to a hidden room. The ranger sternly asks a fretful-looking Frodo, “Are you frightened?” With an aghast look on his face, Frodo says “Yes.” The ranger tersely retorts “Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.”
com-pla-cen-cy/kəmˈplāsənsēnounAn uncritical satisfaction and settling after success that often leads to digressionLinked concepts: Lethargy, carelessness, inattentiveness, laziness
Spiritually speaking, my own propensity is to be more like Frodo than Aragorn. My natural fleshly disposition is to drift toward comfort and carelessness. Over time, I find myself cutting corners in the disciplines of Bible study, prayer, fasting, and meditation. I find myself rain-checking prayer with my wife. I find myself losing ground with family worship at home. I find myself postponing commitments to evangelize, encourage, and edify others. Complacency is the constant battle of the committed Christian.
And for the inattentive Christian, complacency may shipwreck them.
Because complacency stems from pride and self-sufficiency, it produces ruinous effect––it ravages, desecrates, pollutes, and victimizes lives, families, and churches. Many biblical examples serve as an example as to the clandestine power of complacency. It misled Moses. It corrupted Lot. It betrayed Achan. It ruined Solomon. It sabotaged Uzziah. It imploded Israel. It outflanked Peter. It polluted Laodicea. It infected Demas.
And it continues to wreak havoc today. In fact, it has ambushed and obliterated many of my own friends and even some of my ministry co-laborers. No believer is immune from this slippery villain; not even the pastors of First Family. We must not allow complacency to infiltrate the bulwarks of our hearts, marriages, homes, or church.
My friends, vigilance is necessary (1 Peter 5:8). The word vigilance (γρηγορέω) means to be conscious of danger and not fall asleep; to pay careful attention for pitfalls and threats; to guard something of great value.
My friends, we cannot become spiritually sluggish or self-secure––believing somehow that our profession, our church attendance, or our past success will make us immune to the calamitous effects of complacency.
No, it is a sinister enemy that will slither into the crevices of any inattentive believer.
Instead, we must fight the wiles of our flesh (Rom. 7:14–23); we must stay alert to the subterfuge of Satan (1 Pet. 5:8) and dispel his lies with divine weaponry (Eph. 6:11); we must strangle pride and forsake the notion of self-security (1 Cor. 10:12); we must not waste time on trivialities (Eph. 5:15–16); we must endure hardship and strive for sanctification (Phil. 2:12); we must prioritize prayer to keep us alert (Col. 4:2); we must guard our hearts from contaminating influences (Prov. 4:23); and we must work together, not independently (1 Thess. 5:11).
In the end, Frodo and the hobbits realized the precariousness of complacency and the value of vigilance.
May we as well.