Compromise (a dirty word) - Devotion for 10/3/07

Compromise (a dirty word) – Devotion for 10/3/07

All my life I have been of the understanding that a compromise is a good thing. I remember in our premarital counseling (which was done by my father, by the way) hearing about the need to compromise: “You both will have to make sacrifices in order to bring about a happy marriage.” I was taught about compromise through team sports, recognizing we needed to do what was best for the team and not for individuals. I teach my sons about compromise, finding ways that they can agree on something (actually, I haven’t really figured that one out yet – still working on it). Compromise has always been something that has been encouraged, and in most cases compromising is good. However, there are certain areas of our life that must be “uncompromisable” (yes, spell check is telling me that’s not a word). Time with our friends and family should not be compromised for something else. Putting aside money for the future should not be compromised. Your integrity and honesty must not be compromised. And most importantly, your faith and living out of that faith should never be compromised.

This morning as I was reading Hebrews 11, I was reminded of some of the great heroes of faith. As we are reminded about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and even Rahab, we see how powerful things can happen when we live an uncompromising faith. But as Hebrews 11 goes on, we begin to recognize why some people may be tempted to compromise their faith: “. . . others we tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chain and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword . . .” (Hebrews 11:35-37) They endured these difficulties because they would not compromise their faith. If you read the letters to the 7 churches in Asia contained in Revelation 2-3, one of the recurring themes that they are doing wrong could be spelled out as “compromise” – some are worshipping both God and the emperor so as to avoid persecution. I am reminded of St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred around 98-117 AD. Ignatius refused to worship the emperor, Trajan, and thus was bound and chained and sent to Rome in order to be thrown to the lions in the Roman Coliseum. On the way to Rome Ignatius wrote several letters to churches, and in the letter known as the “Letter to the Romans,” Ignatius wrote, “I implore you: do not be unseasonably kind to me. Let me be food for the wild beasts, through whom I can reach God. I am God's wheat, and I am being ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I might prove to be pure bread."

Do not compromise your faith for anyone or anything. God is a jealous God, and a God deserving of all of our adoration and praise. God deserves our faith in Him. Today, let us be uncompromising when it comes to matters of our faith.