15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:15-16

Complacency can be detrimental for the the Christian. It’s easy to “phone it in” when teaching the truth over and over again. What do I mean by that? Going through the motions. You’re still teaching the truth, but there’s not umph or power behind it. Perhaps you don’t pray over your teachings or prepare in a hurry. I’ve battled with that in this devotional. Ten years and 3500 posts. What can I say differently that will make a difference? How can I explain a truth in a different way than the nine other times it’s come up?

But Paul warned us all about this kind of complacency. But he adds something more than just doctrine. He adds the “life” element to it. Your reputation is a large part of your teaching. If no one likes the way you do business, your teaching will suffer.

So lifestyle and doctrine are two sides of the same coin.

Guard against the complacent life in teaching and in your life.