Andy Grove, a Hungarian-born American businessman, is widely credited with being the driving force behind the enormous success of semiconductor computer circuit. He is quoted as saying, “Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.” Now that might sound like a slightly stressful life. But the truth is, those who knew Andy Grove described him as being never satisfied with the status quo. So how might his quote apply to you, your work, and/or your church or agency?

Proverbs 1:32 says, “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them.” (To read more on this topic, click Read More.)

Many think that mission efforts are killed by foreign governments, lack of sufficient support, and even internal bickering. But from what I’ve seen, complacency is *just* as serious. When we lose heart, lose our calling, and/or lose our send of urgency, a kind of laziness sets in that eats us from the inside out.

So let’s ask ourselves – what’s the opposite of complacency? How do we keep complacency at bay? In short, how do we maintain our sense of agency?

I (Doug) have now served as the President of the same mission agency for 46 years. If my health permits (and, by God’s grace, so far it seems to be cooperating), I’d love to offer my life for a good while longer. How have I averted complacency in my life so far?

  1. Understand the urgency of our calling – It’s actually rather simple. Jesus said to make disciples of all nations. He wants all people in all places to have a viable chance to say “yes” to His hope and help. That realization makes me pop out of bed in the morning.
  2. Be the one who believes we can make a difference – Surely He wouldn’t have given us a command He didn’t intend for us to complete. In addition, he wouldn’t give an instruction that was impossible to fulfill. Believe.
  3. Purposely persevere – Be creative. Be strategic. Be courageous. Get inspired. But above all, just decide — right now — that you’ll never quit. Never, never, never, never, never quit.

You’ve got this – so long as you’re seeking first His Kingdom. Because when you’re doing that, everything will be added to you (Matt. 6:33). Paul wrote in Eph. 1:11 that God is at work causing every little detail in your life to come into conformity with His purposes. I dare you to apply these principles to your life, just to see where God takes you. It would likely be a very fun ride.

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