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‘Don’t compromise your integrity; whatever you gain won’t be worth as much as what you lose.’ – Aaron Dennis.

Compromise can be a positive thing when it encourages cooperating with others without sacrificing our own moral values. I wish I could say in my own life I have walked without any compromise for the more than 23 years that I have been clean and in relationship with God. Sadly, this is not the case. I think of King Solomon. God said to him, ‘If you will walk before me as your father David did, in integrity of heart and uprightness…then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever’ (1 Kings 9:4-5). If you know the story, you see sadly that Solomon chose to build the kingdom and gather nearly 1000 wives and concubines rather than always put God at the centre of his leadership.

Compromise usually happens when we are at our most vulnerable – when its appeal seems to override the importance of our integrity. I can tell you from personal experience that one unwise choice that is compromise leads in a direction that will often have dire consequences. The lie of the enemy is, ‘that really isn’t going to hurt you or anyone else,’ or, ‘it’s ok to have something for yourself’. When you step over the line with that first little step or choice, you endanger yourself in ways you don’t even realise.

I’d love to say that we are fully aware of when it starts, but often it begins in small, insignificant and innocent ways and we underestimate the impending damage. It often starts with a small slip in your thoughts or actions towards God. However, if not arrested, it becomes easier to rationalise, weakening your conscience, your character and hindering your relationship with God and your testimony to others.

Compromise also slowly corrupts your thinking. While you may convince yourself it’s just this one area of your life, it affects every other area. One area of my own life in the past year for example (and there have been others); I realised my attention was slowly and subtly being diverted through social media and the music I chose to listen to. So much wasted time scrolling through Facebook, with very rarely edifying information. Rather, it leads to comparison and wasted time. Many hours in my car back and forth to Sydney each week listening to songs that really did nothing to uplift my soul or edify my spirit. I was compromising my time and my attention and it was affecting my life. Now, I’m not saying I’m against either music or social media, but for me? I have decided to limit what I spend my time on and what I listen to moving forward.

If we are living a life of compromise, God will always gently nudge us to step back into the truth of who we are so He can fully use our lives. Sometimes, when we ignore Him, He will orchestrate a crisis. Truth will always come to light eventually. I pray for us all that whatever the consequences, we choose to return to the only thing that will fully satisfy in life – Jesus.

Janine Epere

CEO Destiny Haven