DARE To Be A Daniel: No Compromise

"Go with the flow," they said.
"Let things slide, after all, everyone else is doing so".
"Blend in".
"Cheat a little here". "Tell a lie there".
"This is what 'fitting in' entails!".
Miguel heard these statements all too often. And before he knew it, he gave in. He compromised who he was and what he stood for.

Sound familiar?

We hear these stories everyday and its sad to say that compromisation has become the norm for some of us.

Individuals give into peer pressure and temptation. They make big or small compromises. And many of us may have even been in a similar situation like the above, whereby we were asked or expected to accommodate sin as per se our morals, values, friendships and relationships etc. Some will argue that we can compromise matters of preference but we should not compromise matters of principle, matters of right and wrong. For its when we give in to such things that we allow certain things to continue, over and over and over again.

It may start off small but do not be fooled, it can lead to bigger compromises. Think of a snowball rolling downhill, it builds upon itself and becomes larger. And evidently it can result in one big disaster.
That applies to compromises too.
For every compromise (relational or physical) there is a consequence.
This means that when you spend time with certain people, they begin to 'rub off' on you by default. And you can pick up bad habits and attitudes and ultimately, they can lead you to destruction, either instantly or over time.

Let me explain.
So often I hear the statement, "Only God can judge me," as if people can compromise their values, continue living a certain way and justify their actions. But that is not true.

I agree that God alone has the right to judge us (Romans 14:4), for He is a righteous judge (Psalm 7:11). But by no means can we use that statement to continue living in sin. What I mean to say, is that there are times in our lives whereby we have to 'die to self'. We have to purposely put the TV remote down, turn off the radio, get off the internet or off our phones, stop partaking in certain activities and actually spend some time with God. Get to know Him. Get to know His heart. For when we do that, we are illustrating that we are putting Him first.

Lately I've been doing some reading and the book of Daniel spoke volumes to me. For Daniel was one such individual. He was respected, admired, a man who valued principle and prayer (Daniel 6:10). He possessed a position of power, influence and purpose. Yet He did not compromise who he was as a godly man to fit in with society. Daniel was set on not conforming and violating God's Word. Instead he chose to put God first. He embraced being a man of God, a man of purity. And during his season of tests and trials he chose not to compromise his convictions but manage things honourably.

With that said, I would like you to ponder on the term "honour" for a few minutes and then take a closer look at purity.

Did you know that purity itself, is fashioned by honour?
You see, purity is more than not having sex until you are married. That kind of physical intimacy is sacred. Purity guards us against spiritual and emotional ruin. It is being pure inside and out. And that includes not tempting others or giving into temptation. But rather staying clear of certain things, so you may glorify God with your mind, body, soul and spirit instead.

Note that you do not have to buy into everything the media says.

You do not have to compromise your values, your body and your purity so someone could stay with you or like you. And if you have, please hear me out, I am by no means here to condemn you. Rather I do want you to know that no situation and no mistake has taken God by surprise. He is the God of restoration. He can do a work in you.

You do however, also have a part to play. That means that there will be times where you will have to purposely choose purity over lust. Cut off certain friendships a relationships. Remind yourself that you are more than your pretty or handsome face and body. Start seeing yourself as a reflection of Christ. And as for those temptations, you can overcome them.

"How?" you may ask.

You can deal with these things head on so they may no longer appeal to you. → That means that the next time you are tempted to compromise your standards, you can resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7). The Bible states that we need to cast down thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) that do not line up with it.
→ So we then establish boundaries in our lives and take control of our thoughts and actions. We boldly declare that we are accountable for our actions.
In previous posts I have mentioned the importance of accountability partners, and I speak about them so often because I truly believe that such individuals help us stay grounded. They encourage us to uphold God and His Word. And they help us rule out compromising situations.

With that said, I also love what Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend have to say about the matter, for when we are afraid to say "no," to something it is then when our "yes" is compromised.
And therefore, we need to be confident enough to say, "NO!"

NO, to things that jeopardise our faith.
NO, to things that compromise our standards.
NO, to bad company that corrupts good morals.
NO, to conceding fundamental principles.
And last but not least, NO, to things that compromise our purity.

See, I personally think that God wants us to have standards, standards that reflect who we are in Christ and what we stand for.

And thereby, when difficult times arise...when the road gets dark, when your 'friends' turn their backs on you that's when you need to STAND YOUR GROUND and STAND STRONG. For you do not have to conform to the world to get ahead. Instead, you can live a life of integrity and let your life be living proof of God in our lives. Let God's Word be the standard of your conduct.

P.S. If you ever need someone to talk to or rather pray with you, email me at melisha.gardner@gmail.com

- Mel ♡♥♡