THE DANGER OF COMPLACENCY

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. (2Samuel 11:1-2 NKJ)

What comes to my mind when I read these verses is the danger of comfort. King David, throughout all his life, had never lost a battle. He was a warrior who fought his own battles and was at some point even hired to fight other people’s battles. He got too comfortable with wars and battles and certainly got used to the results. Every battle he engaged in was a sure win and what we have in the text above here is he decided not to do what he was called to do.

King David the fighter whose kingdom was framed at the battleground decided not to go when it was a battle time. The Scripture is apt for it says, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle,” It was the right time when all Kings went to Battle but in the right time for battle, King David decided to stay home. A professional at the Battlefield stayed home when it was time for battle. What was the problem? I will tell you what the problem was; COMPLACENCY.

What is Complacency?

A simple dictionary meaning of the term would sound like this: Complacency is a feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy. While there was nothing wrong with David being satisfied with his success, there was absolutely something wrong with his unawareness of the possibility of danger. There is an undercurrent to this word. Someone who has become complacent is not considering that things have a tendency to change and that if they do they will not be prepared to adapt to this change. If someone says “you have grown complacent” it does not mean “I see that you are happy” but rather “it distresses me that you have let your guard down.” You are too comfortable for your good. That is what it means to be complacent. King David was safer at the Battlefield than he was home on his balcony.

The three Characteristics of Complacency

Complacency is an easy trap for a leader to fall into. It is not just leaders like King David alone but even ordinary workers, spouses and students in all their ventures. Most Heroes don’t die at the front line but die in their beds. They are never killed by equal opponents but the weakest of their community. A Battle-hardened David is about to be brought down by a bathing naked woman. For complacency to take dominance it takes to stop reflecting on one’s actions and their impact on others.

Indifference: many people get offer indifference as a response to issues in life. Indifference is when you are neither ‘or’ nor ‘against’. Indifference is when leaders or those responsible take it for granted. David was indifferent to his gazing at the naked woman in the bathroom. He thought he was just looking and that was all, little did he know the impact that had on his psychology and later his decisions. It is this kind of complacency that turns people into addicts of porn, etc.

A sense of Overconfidence: Sometimes overconfidence stems from a false sense of security or well-being. “We’ve never had anything bad happen before, and the probability is so small that we can let our guards down.” Whether it’s a statistical calculation, the illusion of preparedness, or outright arrogance, people operating with this mindset are inviting problems. This is where the king was and it might be where many of us are.

Utopianism: Whenever you see reality misunderstood then you know that complacency is running the show. Complacency can be advanced by false hopes and assurances. One wonders whether the king knew the reality of the power of women, the reality of who he was he was, what such a choice would have materialized into for an ordinary person with a person of his office. It’s human nature to be lulled into complacency, especially if you’ve lived the same basic existence in the same company for years on end. You come to believe you’ve lived pretty much every scenario and can reliably predict the outcome of most situations. When we believe we know the answers, our creativity and ability to proactively plan for potential threats become stagnant.