Passivity is a first world church problem.

Statistics show that eighty percent of an average congregation in the West watch the other twenty percent do the work of ministry. This means that very few believers have responded to the challenge with faith and determination to make a difference. Still, we expect our preachers and teachers to give us something new every Sunday, even if we have done little with what we heard the previous Sunday.

What causes passivity?

It is certainly not a lack of teaching, but the lack of a teachable spirit that stunt the growth and fruitfulness of many believers. Passivity is a form of unbelief that does not want to cooperate with God’s revelation of grace. While we can make numerous excuses for our passivity, the truth is that we have not trusted God enough with our hearts and lives to receive His grace to live differently.

Consider these words of the Apostle Paul:

But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)

 

If the "grace" you know does not inspire you to grow and be fruitful for God, you have not fully embraced or understood grace at all. In fact, if you continue to believe in this vague concept of grace, you will become stagnant.

Paul boasts that he is who he is and is capable of doing what he does because of grace. Paul realised that it was not him who worked hard for God, but God's grace working through him that made the difference. Indeed, grace empowers you far beyond what you ever thought were your limits or what you could do on your own.