The Cost of Complacency: A Warning to Passive Men

Apr 10

There is a silent killer among men—not loud, not boastful, not even violent. It slips in quietly, cloaked in busyness, comfort, and excuses. It settles into the soul like a weighted blanket, lulling men to sleep while their families, churches, and communities suffer from the absence of their God-given leadership.

That killer is complacency.

And the cost is far greater than most men realize.

Passivity Isn’t Harmless—It’s Destructive

When Adam stood beside Eve in the garden and said nothing while she was deceived (Genesis 3:6), he wasn’t just quiet—he was passive. And that passivity didn’t just affect him. It led to the fall of mankind.

God didn’t call out to Eve first. He called for Adam (Genesis 3:9). Why? Because Adam was entrusted with spiritual leadership, and he failed to act.

This wasn’t just a moment of indecision. It was a failure of courage, a failure of obedience, and a failure of responsibility. In that single act of silence, Adam showed us what happens when men choose comfort over conviction.

The Danger of a Passive Heart

Jesus warned the church in Laodicea of their lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency:

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot... So, because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out of my mouth.”
—Revelation 3:15–16

This wasn’t a warning to outsiders. It was to those in the church—people who had allowed comfort to choke out commitment. Men, when we allow spiritual laziness and emotional numbness to settle in, we become just as ineffective and distasteful to the purposes of God.

The World Needs Men Who Will Wake Up

Ezekiel 22:30 says,

“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me... but I found none.”

God was looking for a man—just one—to take responsibility, to protect, to lead, and to intercede. But no one showed up.

What if the same could be said of our generation?

What if God is looking for men who will stand in the breach for their families, churches, and communities—and we’re too distracted, too self-absorbed, or too tired to answer?

Complacency Costs:

Your Leadership – You were made to lead in love, not shrink in fear. When you become passive, you abandon the very purpose for which you were made.
Your Family – Wives grow weary, children wander, and homes grow spiritually cold when men refuse to lead with intentionality and prayer.
Your Soul – Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Complacency is a slow form of spiritual death.
The Next Generation – Young men and boys model what they see. If they see passivity, they’ll inherit passivity. If they see intentional pursuit of God, they’ll inherit that too.

How Do You Kill Complacency?

Start With Repentance.
Admit where you’ve fallen asleep. God doesn't condemn you—He calls you up and out.
“Wake up, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” —Ephesians 5:14
Reignite Discipline.
Get in the Word. Get around other godly men. Pray. Fast. Take a Sabbath. Take action. These are not just spiritual habits—they’re spiritual weapons.
Take Ownership.
Stop blaming others. Stop waiting for someone else to fix it. Your life, your calling, your family—it’s your responsibility.
Lead Boldly in the Small Things.
You don’t have to change the world today. But you can pray with your wife. You can ask your kids questions that go deeper. You can apologize. You can show up.
Don’t Do It Alone.
Find other men who are tired of living passively. Join a discipleship group. Form a brotherhood. Sharpen each other. Encourage each other. Call each other higher.

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” —Proverbs 27:17

Wake Up, Man of God

This is not a call to guilt—it’s a call to greatness. Your passivity may feel safe, but it is robbing you of the life you were made for.

Jesus didn’t live passively. He didn’t love passively. He didn’t die passively. He gave it all—boldly, courageously, intentionally—for you.

Now it’s your turn.

Wake up. Step in. Stand firm. Lead well.

The cost of complacency is too high—and the calling too great—to keep sleeping.

Wesley Maples