FOUR REASONS WE COMPROMISE
"But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15 (NLT)
Inherent in Joshua’s declaration is that he would serve the Lord alone. He would not serve God and someone or something else. There was one God in his life, and that God was the LORD. Some of the Israelites were starting to serve other gods or create idols, causing them to compromise their commitment to God.
God wants us to follow Him exclusively. He’s a loving God but doesn’t share the stage well with others. He wants our complete devotion. A follower of Jesus is someone who’s chosen to build their whole life around Jesus, not just slot Him in. In the same way, a marriage will be as good as what you put into it. It’s simple. If you aren’t committed, you won’t have a great marriage.
It’s important to know that God won’t entrust His greatest blessings and revelations to us if we’re flippant in our commitment to Him. Nothing we do today will cause God to love us anymore. However, our decisions today will cause God to use us more. God is calling His followers to draw a line in the sand. We often compromise with God’s words and exclusively serve Him for four reasons.
- Fear of rejection
- Tolerance
- Pleasure
- Laziness
Each person must make their commitment. Some of your friends and family might not choose to follow Jesus with the same commitment as you. Don't let anything compromise your faith. Your commitment to Jesus is the most essential thing in your life. Don’t let the fear of rejection or being singled out cause compromise.
Tolerance creates sympathy or indulgence that causes us to compromise. Pleasure generates a willingness to settle or give in to be happy. Laziness is a comfort that keeps us from proactively running toward God. Draw a line in the sand and avoid letting these keep you from fully surrendering to Jesus.
The Hebrew for we will serve the Lord in the verse above has a rich meaning. David Guzik says, The English uses a future tense here, but the Hebrew tense has a fuller meaning. It expresses continuous action. It involves the future, but it can also point to the past. Joshua was undoubtedly affirming, ‘I have chosen, and I will choose.’ Let’s be faithful to choose to follow Christ each day no matter the cost.
APPLICATION: Chose today to serve Christ in every area of your life
PRAYER: Look through the four reasons that cause compromise. Ask the Spirit to strengthen you in each area. Then ask if you need to commit or surrender anything to God in each area.