Parenting by Design - February 22

Compromise

Nah. 3:14: Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork! (NIV)

The Israelites built gates and walls around their cities as a means of protection. The Assyrians attacked these walls with long poles that were chiseled to a point at the end. They used them like a toothpick, chipping away at the small stones in the wall. Although it was not a fearsome weapon, it was effective over time as the entire wall eventually crumbled. Ironically, that was how the great Assyrian city of Nineveh fell, by stripping away the bricks in the walls, one by one, until they crumbled!

In the same way, the small compromises we make in life may seem harmless at the time, but each one tends to chip away at the framework of our integrity. It could be making an excuse for our kids when they are late for school, or replacing things they lose instead of empathetically holding them accountable. It may be allowing an underage son to have a beer at home because we think he'll be less likely to drink and drive. Over time, we may find we have drifted from the truth of the gospel and the godly example God has called us to be.

Don't let compromises undermine your integrity.