Just A Little At A Time

 I recently watched a real estate television program called "A Place in the Sun: Home or Away" where prospective home buyers are shown three available homes in their home country and three in another country they are thinking of relocating to. On this particular program when the host took the couple to a beautiful Welsh village he pointed out a 13th century castle which was deteriorating every year due to the fact that the locals were taking the stones from the castle to build their own homes. There wasn't a huge work crew dismantling the castle, just single individuals taking one stone at a time. But the results would inevitably be the same: eventually there would be no castle standing there.

As I was watching this program, I was reminded of how compromise can destroy our lives too. A.W. Tozer said: "One compromise here, another there and soon enough, the so-called Christian and the man in the world look the same." Compromise is subtle. It can creep up on you if you're not paying attention but it can lead to a landslide of problems which will take you far away from where you started from or even intended to go. 

If you asked the people of Wales if they wanted to tear down the whole castle, I'm sure they'd tell you a resounding 'no'. Each person probably thought that the little bit they took wouldn't matter that much but of course it does. Compromising your values or beliefs in small ways may seem harmless at the time, after all, we ask ourselves, what would it matter? but compromise erodes our very foundation. 

We've all heard the old adage "if you play with fire, you'll get burned", unfortunately many Christians are playing with fire: they want the assurance of eternal life in Heaven but they're unwilling to give up their old lifestyle. They blur the lines of what it means to live a godly life. They make excuses and turn a blind eye to blatant sin. 

God has standards and He expects us to keep them. The Word of God is very clear when it says: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." 1 John 2:15 and even more strongly worded James 4:4 says: "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

Christians who compromise God's standards are compared to adulterers! We have cheated on God by embracing the standards of the world instead of drawing closer to God. I don't want to be considered God's enemy (I don't think any of us do), so I examine my life closely and ask the Lord, as David did, to search my heart. 

Psalm 139:23-24

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts.Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."

Compromise seems harmless but let me assure you it is deadly. Satan will use compromise to take you away from God a little bit or one stone at a time until there is nothing left of who or what you once were. Be on your guard against compromise.