The Dangers of Familiarity

Lake Pleasant, Speculator, NY View from Camp of the Woods

Our week at Camp of the Woods was unforgettable. I was privileged to serve as the Quest speaker, giving a one-hour talk each day from Monday to Friday. I pulled material from my book 'Flourishing in God: A Message from the Trees.'

I highlighted my testimony on the first day, and the miracle of the seed. Then I discussed the ask tree, which serves as a warning to guard our hearts. Next, I addressed the palm tree, with its living center; the Lebanon cedar, with its remarkable root system; and the olive tree, which points to our need for the Holy Spirit.

What a blessing not to have to cook for a whole week. However, returning home, I was greeted with a hundred ripe tomatoes waiting to be canned. As I prepared the tomatoes, I thought about why the week had been so special. It was wonderful to be used by the Lord, but I knew it was more than that.

It occurred to me that every detail of the week was new. I didn't know how many people would choose to attend my sessions or what a room big enough for 700 people would feel like. I wasn't familiar with the sound system or a brand-new keyboard. The congregation had representatives from all denominations, ranging from the conservative Plymouth Brethren to free-flowing Pentecostals. Everything required radical dependence upon the Holy Spirit because the entire experience was NEW.

I began to think about the dangers of familiarity, of doing things the same way over and over until you become numb to the process. Familiarity means "known" or "friendly with" as expressed through various social practices, language, and traditions.

Have you ever traveled on a familiar road and realized your thoughts were so occupied you could hardly remember the journey? That's dangerous, but what if the same thing happens in our spiritual lives? have you ever left church not remembering what songs were sung or what the sermon was about? Have you ever been reading your Bible and skipped over a verse because you'd heard it so many times?

Most people are unaware that familiarity can be a curse. Many marriages break up because couples become so familiar with each other that they think they have fallen "out" of love.

Familiarity can lead people to become complacent and undervalue their relationships.

In our churches, familiarity can cause the love for God to fade. People may lose their excitement for spiritual things. They stop expecting God to move. We must be careful not to settle for doing things the same old way. We often take for granted those things that are common to us, and the importance of them is diminished.

My grandson, William, has recently been born again. He is on fire! Everything feels new and exciting to him. His enthusiasm to know God and follow the Holy Spirit has brought me great joy as well as a deep conviction in my heart. It shows me the dangers of familiarity that puffs up our pride, making us thing we've somehow matured beyond the childlike wonder of walking with the Lord.

So what is the remedy?

1. We must repent. All things become new at the foot of the cross. We have to repent of lukewarmness and the pride that got us there. Ask God to reignite your first love.

2. Revise our view of God. Lukewarmness is a sign that our God is too small. He is the Lord of Lords and must never be taken for granted.

3. Prioritize time with God in prayer and His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to make His Word alive again. Surrender to His Lordship, admitting our desperate need of Him.

4. Acknowledge the battle. The devil wants us lukewarm and indifferent because we are then powerless. Remember, "...sin crouches at the door and its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7)

5. Safeguard your heart. For out of it flows the direction of your life.

Join me in asking God to rekindle our hearts again. Amen.

Here is the link to watch Quest Day One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-aytEUr2z0&t=13s