Many of you will be familiar with the parable of the frog in a jar of water. The water is clean and clear, and the frog is enjoying his bath. Meanwhile, there’s a fire underneath the jar, warming the water in slow degrees. The poor frog, having cold blood, does not notice the increase in temperature. Slowly, the water heats up until it reaches boiling point and the frog is cooked. Moral: Beware of dangers that encroach gradually so that we are not caught off-guard.
The Apostle Paul puts it another way: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12) His warning to individual Corinthians or the church at Corinth is an equally apt warning for the Church of Malaysia in our day.
Let’s face it. Despite our protestations, we cannot deny that it is much easier to be a *Christian in Malaysia now than ever before. Gone are the days when parents dragged their kids out of church, fearing they had joined a “Western religion”, or kicked them out of their homes. Gone are the days when churches were small and harassed, and lacked financial resources. Gone are the days when Christians had no voice in national government. Today, Christian bodies ensure that our views are heard and taken into consideration. The latest census shows that Christians make up almost 10% of the population (the real figure is probably higher).
Christians in Malaysia are now among the rich, famous and influential. Missionaries from Malaysia have invaded the four corners of the world. Yes, the Church in Malaysia appears to have come of age. Praise the Lord!
Lesson from Amos
The question is: What’s next? If we think we are standing firm, we must be careful that we do not fall. We must be vigilant and watchful. But what are we to watch out for?
The Lord has graciously pointed us to the Old Testament book of Amos. Amos was one of the 12 “minor” prophets with a major conviction and message. He prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign Jeroboam II at about the same time when Isaiah was busy in the southern kingdom of Judah. This was a period of unparalleled peace and prosperity in Israel. Some years back, Jeroboam’s father Jehoahaz inflicted a decisive defeat on the kingdom of Judah and carried away much plunder (2 Kings 14:8-14). Later, Jeroboam had himself expanded Israel’s boundaries and restored to her most of her former glory (2 Kings 14:23-29).
But now the war was over. There was peace. Trade was blooming. Israel was strong. Everything in the nation was in good order. Yet, with penetrating insight and prophetic vision, Amos diagnosed the sickness that had engulfed the nation. In one word, this sickness was COMPLACENCY.
His denouncement of Israel was most succinctly expressed in Amos 6:1-8. “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure in Samaria” (v. 1a).
What were the causes of Israel’s complacency? She relied on her military prowess instead of the Lord for security. Mount Samaria, the capital of Israel, afforded strong fortification and safety. She also trusted in her bureaucracy (v. 1b) and her large territories (v. 2).
Amos went on to describe the conditions of complacency. The Israelites dismissed all serious thoughts of impending peril (v. 3). They could not imagine that anything could go wrong. They spent their time indulging in choice foods and other extravagances (vv. 4, 6a). Picture them lying on beds of ivory and lounging on couches all day long (v. 4a). The pursuit of pleasure was their top priority (v. 5). They did not bother about the problems that beset the nation (v. 6b).
Last but not least, Amos thundered the curses or consequences of complacency. The Lord would send the Israelites into exile (v. 7a). Their self-indulgence would end (v. 7b). All this would happen because the Lord abhorred their pride (v. 8). And Amos’ prophesy came to pass. Forty years down the road, Israel had her land sacked by the Assyrians and her people taken into exile.
Self-Check
Let us compare the condition of Israel in Amos’s day with the trend in the Church in Malaysia. Have we, too, become complacent? Have we begun to trust in our numbers, finances, church hierarchies, political connections, and lose sight of our faith in God? Have business meetings overtaken prayer meetings in the order of importance? Are we retaining only the form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5)? Have we begun to indulge in self-seeking and ignored the needs of the poor? Have our mega-churches become extravagant? Have our building funds become more important than missionary spending? It’s time to take an honest look at ourselves and our churches!
One of the telltale symptoms of complacency is a spirit of self-sufficiency. This is the belief that one can make it without the assistance or partnership of others. The Israelites were self-sufficient. They did not believe that anything could go wrong for them, irrespective of the circumstances outside of them. Individual Israelites had no concern for the problems in the nation as those were considered other people’s problems.
So we see that self-sufficiency leads to independence and individualism. Is this already happening in our churches? Do churches, especially the larger ones, feel that they have no need of the larger Body of Christ? Do the servants of God minister in isolation? Self-sufficiency further leads to self-seeking and fragmentation and disintegration. The final stage would be self-destruction.
Some may think that this picture is unrealistic and bleak. Many feel that things will not change. But change is here and everywhere. Change is with us. Subtle forces are working in our nation, in demography, religion and politics in particular, that threaten to undermine the Church. However, these external forces do not constitute our greatest enemy. It is the internal weakening that leads directly to the Church’s downfall.
In addressing the 54th Umno General Assembly in June 2003, the then Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that Umno, as well as our nation, had inherited success from those who had gone before. Now, we must learn to manage this success and improve on it. Success often brought about complacency and forgetfulness, he cautioned. This showed up in self-seeking behaviour such as greed and corruption, and the jostling for power and position. These internal enemies will weaken Umno or the nation more than anything the Opposition or foreign nations could do.
How true! Let the Church take this nugget of wisdom to heart. If we are to stand, we must stand together.
What led to the fall of the great ancient civilisations such as Egypt or Rome? In one word - COMPLACENCY. What has caused the east cost of America, home to the Great Awakening in the 18th century, to become practically godless today? What has caused the Welsh Revival to cool off so much so that the cathedrals of Wales today are empty and pews warmed mainly by senior citizens? The same word - COMPLACENCY.
This same sickness led to the fall of Israel. Let us learn from this example and take heed.
Cures for Complacency
What then are the cures for complacency? Firstly, we must re-orientate our mindset and attitude towards God and one another. We must emphasise the sharing of struggles and the building of relationships instead of hiding behind a plethora of activities. We must recapture the discipleship and missionary vision of the early Church. We must radically review our giving to ensure sufficient resources are released to touch a lost world. We must get out of our rabbit holes and contribute towards nation building. Above all, we must humbly pray to God to sustain and bless our efforts.
Some may think these measures are powerless to stop the “natural” unfolding of events. What must happen, must happen. Let us be encouraged that we have the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit. We can rise above the natural and change the course of history. But, we must first make the choice.
To close, let us learn from the frogs again. Listen to this tale of two frogs:
Two frogs fell into a can of cream
or so I’ve heard it told.
The side of the can were shiny and steep,
the cream was deep and cold.
“Oh, what’s the use?” croaked number one.
“This is fate, no help’s around.
Goodbye, my friend!
Goodbye, sad world!”
And weeping still, he drowned.
But number two, of sterner stuff,
dog-paddled in surprise
while he wiped his creamy face,
and dried his creamy eyes.
“I’ll swim awhile at least,” he said,
or so I’ve heard it said,
“It really wouldn’t help the world
if one more frog were dead.”
And hour or two he kicked and swam,
not once did he stop to mutter,
but kicked and kicked and swam and kicked,
then hopped out, via butter!
Let us make a deliberate choice to imitate frog number two. By God’s grace, let us kick and swim and strive and struggle until threats are turned into opportunities and dangers into victories. And again by His grace, our best days shall not be over but are still to come. Amen.
* Reference is made to the non-Malays.
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