HomeWord - October 27, 2014
The Pressure to Compromise
This devotional was written by Jim Burns
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? —Romans 6:15-16
The pressure to compromise our lifestyle is one of the greatest battles that comes our way. We all experience peer pressure, no matter what our age. The pressure to compromise makes a 5-year-old scream a dirty word or a 16-year-old get drunk at a party. The same pressure forces a business executive to cheat on a business deal, and then say, “Everyone does it.”
A Christian is called to stand firm and not be seduced by peer pressure, even though sometimes it is very difficult to stand out in the crowd. Most of the time you’ll feel better for keeping your principles, although there might be times when you lose a friend, a job, or some other valuable. Christians are always called to stand on the side of righteousness, even if it is unpopular to do so.
If you have trouble withstanding the pressure to compromise, here are three principles that will help you through your day:
• Everyone you spend time with has an influence on you. Choose your friends wisely.
• Remember your uniqueness. You are special in God’s eyes.
• Seek first the kingdom of God. Pleasing God is better than pleasing your friends.
Make Micah 6:8 a verse to live by: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
GOING DEEPER:
1. After reading Romans 6:15-16, what loving advice would you have for someone who says to you, “I’m a Christian, so I can sin all I want because God will forgive me”?
2. What areas in your life are vulnerable to compromise or to taking advantage of the grace God has given you? Seek righteousness and be obedient to Jesus.
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