I'm Done With Compromise

Compromise in and of itself is not a negative or positive word. There can be times when it is good to compromise. In friendships and relationships, sometimes we must give up what we desire and compromise for the ones we love. It goes both ways in relationships, and both parties must compromise from time to time to have a successful relationship.

But, depending on the compromise and the position of our hearts, it can be good or bad. We should never compromise when it comes to God and our relationship with Him. Compromise means to “accept standards that are lower than is desirable.” We should never settle or accept standards that contradict His word.

Many compromises are small, and we may not realize we are even compromising. But that does not excuse them. We must allow Him to examine our hearts and transform us from the inside out. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:22-23.)

God has standards in place out of His love for us and our benefit. When we choose not to obey them and do what the world does, we compromise our relationship with the One who created us and loves us.

When we compromise to fit in with those around us or even fit in with our culture, we are telling God that His ways are not vital to us and that we don’t trust that He cares and loves for us. We are showing that we are more concerned with what man thinks of us than what our God thinks about us. “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety” (Proverbs 29:25.)

We often come up with excuses to make ourselves feel better about our compromises:

The bible is not relevant today.

The times have changed.

God will understand.

I am being loving to those around me.

All these may sound good, but they are not the truth. The truth is God’s word is relevant today. He never changes, and neither does His word. The bible is alive and active, meaning that every time we read it, it applies to our lives (Hebrews 4:12.) The culture may look different, but God’s word applies to all cultures and in every time. To not compromise means that we choose to follow God and stand for His ways regardless of our culture or what is popular.

God knows that it is hard to follow His ways; He gave us His word and His Holy Spirit to live out His word. We can not live or walk out in His ways without Him. When we compromise, that does not change God’s love for us. He understands that the situations we are in are difficult. But we must remember God came down as a man and lived in the flesh, and He faced the temptation to compromise. He relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to help Him stand firm in God’s ways. God does understand, but it is not an excuse to disobey Him. Yes, He will forgive, and yes, He will still love us. But His love and grace are not a license to do whatever we want.

Compromising God’s ways does not show His love. It says, "I do not love or care for You enough to tell you the truth.” “I care more about not facing backlash and what others think of me instead of what you need to hear.” To show God’s love, we have to point people to His truth. We cannot enable their path to destruction, and watch them slowly die in the name of fake support.

Compromise is dangerous. It separates us from Him and leads us down a path of destruction. Things may be fine at the moment, but it will not last, and it will lead to death and destruction.