It’s been a long time since I’ve read some good news, and this week, it was heartening to catch a glimmer of hope amid the dark clouds looming over the world for the past 2 years. I am, of course, referring to the latest easing of Covid-19 restrictions that will allow, among other things, more people to visit homes and a quicker return to routine after someone is infected or has come into close contact with a Covid-19 case.

What’s more, officials have been hinting at further easing of measures if the number of daily infections begins to drop.

It’s all fantastic news. After two years (and running) of restrictions that have made life really difficult, it seems that we are finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

A little part of me, however, can’t help but wonder: Would all this good news tempt some of us to slide into complacency? Would we begin to think that the worst is over, forgetting that the coronavirus is still a serious threat?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not plumping for a return to stricter restrictions. I’m more than happy to return to some semblance of normalcy and get back to routine. Hopefully, one day in the near future, we might not even need to wear masks anymore!

But I’m also sure that those among us who are more vulnerable physically—like seniors, those in poor health, or those who can’t be vaccinated for health reasons—may be worried by the prospect of people taking it a little too easy and not caring about the ever-present danger of Covid-19.

I suppose we’ll know fairly quickly if this is the case. If too many of us become complacent and fail to take personal responsibility for keeping society safe, daily infection cases will rise again.

The numbers will tell the story. They will show us, swiftly and clearly, whether we have been complacent or careful. And they will remind us to return to the path of caution, should we stray.

I can’t help but think . . . if only we could measure spiritual complacency the same way!

From personal experience, I know how easy it can be to stray off the straight and narrow path.

One skipped day of prayer or Bible reading because “I’m so tired” easily becomes a week of not spending time with God.

A “small” sin which I justify as “just this once” becomes a habit or addiction that I can no longer overcome on my own.

A careless act that I excuse on account of a “special situation” becomes a part of my lifestyle that I know displeases God.

I know the Christian faith shouldn’t be reduced to simply doing “right things”— after all, the salvation that Jesus gives us is founded on grace alone, not on deeds. Yet, as 1 John 2:3–4 notes: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

It is too easy to let life’s routines and distractions cause us to gradually drift away from God, such that we stop looking to Him in all we do, forgetting that everything we have comes from Him and is to be used for His glory.

It is too easy to let the passion we have for Christ and our hunger for His presence ebb away, so much so that He fades into the background.

Unlike complacency in society’s fight against Covid-19, however, the signs of spiritual complacency may not be so obvious. No numbers can warn us that we may be drifting away from God, and no data can remind us to shift our wandering attention back to Him.

By the time we discover that we have strayed, we might have drifted so far from God that it would take a monumental effort for us to turn back to Him. It would be like trying to find our way back to the right path several hours after realising that we had taken the wrong turn, rather than doing so several minutes after.

To avoid falling into spiritual complacency, then, we need to monitor our own spiritual health actively and make sure that we walk closely with God all the time. As 1 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

And how can we be “careful”? The Bible contains many reminders to be diligent in our journey of faith—to spend time with God and His Word, to put into practice what we learn, and to keep looking to Jesus, the “perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Hebrews 6:12 exhorts us to be vigilant: “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve been complacent in seeking and following You. Please help me to abide in You, and to let Your Word abide in me, that I may stay close to You every day.