The Compromise

Not long after finding out I was pregnant in January of 2017, 10 years after I originally began praying for a second child, I made the decision to do whatever I needed to do to get, and keep, my life on track with God's plan.  In the three years leading up to the discovery of my pregnancy, I had not only become derailed in my walk with God, but I also had sunken to a depth of depression and despair that I didn't know how to climb out of.  Would I get out?  I asked the question frequently.  Did I want to get out?  An even more difficult question that I asked during some of the darker moments of that three year period.  At my worst, I no longer wanted to live, and at my best, I was so ensnared in the mistakes I had made that I didn't know how to untangle the web I'd unconsciously weaved.  From a broken marriage to the reckless adoption of the world's ways, I was fighting daily to stay afloat in the troubled emotional waters in which I swam.  Ominous waves of condemnation and gripping undercurrents of fear and self-loathing beat mercilessly against my every effort to swim to the shore of Jesus' love. Eventually, I grew weary and disheartened, doubtful and confused.  I found myself looking around at the dark ocean of mistakes that surrounded me and I wondered how I got in such deep waters.  It took a lot of reflection and honest, unashamed introspection to uproot the pain and unearth the cause.  I had to forgive the people I believed had put me there and take responsibility for my own life choices.  At the end of the pain, I realized that the spiritual and emotional geography of where I found myself started, not with the hurtful actions of others, but with my own willingness to make a compromise.

I revisit this period of time in my life because I recently found myself in a puddle of shame and regret.  Wisdom from the aforementioned mistakes, however, had taught me that the quickest and safest route to the dry ground of Jesus' shadow was to immediately repent and then flee the sin that would try to entangle me.  2 Timothy 2:22 says to "flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Two years ago I had recommitted my life to God, so finding myself standing in the rains of sin again, I had to assess where I went wrong.  What I found was that once again, my feet went astray from the path of Christ when I compromised in some area.  If you examine your own life with God, your sins and mistakes are usually going to be seen at the crossroads of a compromise.  What are you watching on TV? Does it arouse you or put thoughts in your mind that bring conviction to your spirit?  Galatians 5:17 says "the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is  contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other..." So if you're walking with God, but watching pornography, you're going to feel two very different pulls.  Your flesh will lead you to keep watching, while your spirit will gently whisper for you to turn it off.  The conflict arises and you're now standing at the crossroad of a potential compromise.  What do you do?

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....” - Joshua 24:14-15

Or maybe it's not a sexual lust that draws you.  Perhaps it's the extra glass of wine or bottle of beer.  One more inhalation on the cigarette or pipe that has you bound.  I know some who get a rush off of stealing and getting away with it.  The high, no matter how sweet the climb, will inevitably come down, taking you with it.  Pornography will wreck your marriage.  Overindulgence of any substance, will relentlessly pursue the demise of all the you love and hold dear. Well, everyone does it, you say.  I've heard this an exhausting number of times as it relates to pornography.  Everyone else might very well be doing it, and Matthew 7:13 speaks to this very justification: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."  To walk the broad path with the majority, you'll have to compromise somewhere in your walk with Christ; to walk the narrow path with Him, you'll almost always have to sacrifice the fulfillment of a desire and crucify your flesh.  The choice is yours and it's mine and it comes with either a price or a promise.  

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." - Galatians 5:24
 
I can't tell you what to do, but I can share what I've learned in my own walk with Jesus.  Compromise with sin and temptation will invariably lead to destruction.  It may not be large scale, but it will cost you something.  Your marriage may survive, but at what avoidable expense (Ephesians 5:25)?  Your health might recover, but why damage it along the way (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)? Where are you currently considering compromise or already compromising?  Did the attractive old flame search you out on social media?  What is your online conversational content with him?  Would you share it openly with your husband?  Look into your spouse's face.  Are you prepared to lose him?  The children you share?  Is the price too high?  Then flee as Joseph did (Genesis 39:12).  Run from sin and don't compromise any longer.  It's not too late and you're not too far down the broad path.  Turn around and walk back to your Father's arms (1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19).  In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), we see the father's compassion for his long lost rebel child and Jesus welcomes us back just the same: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:20)" Turn around, refuse to compromise, and seek the narrow path that the world calls crazy.  It's too hard they say, but God tells us in Isaiah 41:10:  "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." It's not about you overcoming all of your temptations on your own, it's about you walking hand in hand with Jesus and allowing Him to strengthen you when you're weak.  Some days I want to sin more than I want to live for Jesus, but I've run my own experiments with this and I've lost something every time.  Some days it was my peace.  Other days it was something greater and more precious to me.  Either way, the satisfaction sin promises to bring will always come with a price, and most of the time you would never engage if you knew the cost. 


If you're looking for a sign that you need to stop, this is it.  If you're asking for answers on whether or not you're compromising already, this is your answer. Have nothing to do with a compromise that will derail your relationship and walk with God.  You can't play with sin like it's a toy you can pick up and put down as you please.  The Bible calls our adversary, the devil, a "roaring lion" who seeks to "devour" you (1 Peter 5:8).  The minute you intentionally and purposefully step foot on his playground, you've already given him the upper hand.  Don't even play on the courts of his domain.  Don't compromise. Run to the Father and receive all that you never knew you were looking for.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30