Perhaps my family, and my friends at work know this better than anyone as they are around me the most. It can start with allowing a little sin... just an occasional bad word... a once in a while dirty joke just to fit in. After all, I wouldn't want to be perceived as being too serious, or better than anyone else. This is what I think at the time, but what I'm not realizing is that when I do this, a little at a time, the foundation of integrity beneath me is getting chipped away.
I realize that nobody is perfect (except for Jesus), but sometimes we also say that as just another excuse to compromise. What I need to do, and what anyone else who may also be going through this needs to do is to look to Jesus as our example.
In Matthew 4:8-11 we read,
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
When I read this passage I think about just how tricky and cunning the devil is, and how we can never trust him. Another thing that occurred to me though is that what the devil offered Jesus did kind of fit into His plan if we think about it. In John 3:16 we are told the purpose for Jesus coming to this world, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in His shall not perish, but will receive everlasting life." If we think about it for a second, Jesus could have chosen to make a compromise here, and could have reasoned that by obtaining all of the kingdoms of the world this could fit into His Father's plan. I'm so glad that Jesus didn't make such a compromise as that though.
What some people may not know about me is that I was the pastor of a small church for about 7 years. As the former pastor of that church, there were many times that I felt like I was walking the thin line of compromise. I've wondered at times if we would have been more traditional as a church and less appealing to the youth, then would we have survived longer within an area full of traditional churches?
I've always felt that there had to be a trade off between appealing to the old and to the young, but I think maybe at times we went too much after winning the youth to Christ over the older folks, when we should have balanced our efforts across the whole community instead. I guess I'll always wonder these things. Did we make too many compromises to bring in the youth? I simply don't know. All we can do now is rejoice in the fruit that the Lord has given, and I certainly do.
I do believe that when God gives us an assignment, our enemy the devil, just as he tried to tempt Jesus to compromise, he will also try to get us to compromise. Often times it will look like a valid shortcut too, and it will seem like the right way to go. I can't say that every choice we made in ministry was wrong, for there have been lives changed by Jesus through the efforts we've made.
As an individual though, I also see that everyday the enemy comes to tempt me into compromise. From what to watch on TV, to what to say within a group of friends to be "one of the guys" and to so many other places in my life - I'm facing the temptation to compromise. What I'm saying is I really do realize that we have an enemy, and I'm seeing how he wishes to utterly destroy us in any way he possibly can.
Remember, our enemy will tempt us, but he will often be subtle in doing so. In the Garden of Eden Satan could have chosen any animal he wished to to speak to Eve, but he chose the most subtle one - the serpent. His strategy has not changed since that time, and he still sneaks up on us today with philosophies, ideologies, and opinions that seem right to us, and sometimes the new idea may seem like it is a godly one. This is why we need to know God's word, and walk daily with Him, if we are to discern the difference.
Maybe you are experiencing this like I am. If so, then together let's look to Jesus. for He chose to not compromise, and He was, is, and will always be, victorious.
