day 2 devotional guide- compromise

So for clarification, my best friend janelle recommended that I do two blogs a day instead of one, because I write so much. So each day I'm going to post a separate thoughts from me and then the stuff from my prayer guide book. So, If you want to read my thoughts from the day, click on the other day two blog. If you just want to use the prayer guides, well, here it is. :-)

Moving on. The prayer guide calls us to focus today on compromise.

The scripture comes from Rev. 2:14-15 (NLT) "But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolations among you who follow the same teaching."

Personal Reflection: Jesus and the writers of both our Old & New Testaments warned us that there would be teachers, philosophies, ideas and arguments that present themselves against the word of God. Where we sometimes go wrong is in thinking that these things will be blatant in their attempts to lead us astray. However, the devil is much more clever than that; rather than blatantly opposing God's word, he will entice us into compromise with widely accepted ideas which cause us to relax our moral views on issues in which the Bible takes a clear stand. Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart for any area of compromise, any way of thinking and any unbelief that you may have that is contrary to God's Word. Allow him cleansing power to burn away your imperfections causing His light to shine even more clearly through you.

Going Forward, I'm Committed to ________."

Additional Scripture Support:
Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:5-6, Romans 3:3-4, Galatians 1:7-8; Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Peter:13-31

I've seen so many people fall into sin little by little, without even realizing it. I have been, and still am, one of those people. We tell ourselves it's ok if I just get buzzed and not drunk, it's technically not sex, it's just X; I'm only listening to this kind of music, but I'm not the kind of person the singer is. I don't stand for the things in the lyrics, I just like the music.

A very godly man (and pastor of my old church by grace in newport news) Kevin Hass once told me, "If you have to ask yourself and other people whether it's ok to do or not, it's probably not worth doing."

I once wrote song lyrics myself that went, "we all draw fuzzy lines that don't mean anything but make us feel safe."

Most Christians don't just fall into huge sin. We ease our way into it, like getting into cold water. Pretty soon we get comfortable with our feet in, so we don't think anything of where we are currently and we inch further and further away from the coast, and pretty soon we are in head deep and drowning when we didn't even realize we left the shore.

And honestly, I'm terrified to publicly list that I'm committed to anything going forward, because I've done it so so many times, yet I end up falling right back to the place I was. Or maybe I'm just not willing to give up my fuzzy lines...

Some of us fall, but most of us slip down slowly. As is the title of day 2, we compromise ourselves over and over and over again.

One thing that really hits me in the revelation passage is that God is upset that his people are letting other people live among them who are teaching them sin. For us today, I think it's less people, but more of television shows, music, magazines, food, drinks, cigarettes, whatever. We let things that we know slowly pull us away from God and into something cold reside with us, and we watch them and listen to them and use them. And it's wrong.

And I think and rethink things and there is just so much society says is ok that I'm apathetic to that is probably horribly unbiblical and I don't even realize it.

For me, slowly slipping down into sin isn't something I can write down on a blank line and then be magically free from.

Perhaps just like slipping down instead of falling down, some of us need to crawl back up instead of jump.

I'm not really sure, I just know that in the respects of being compromised, I am horribly lost and broken. And as such, I ask for you all to pray for me in this aspect, that maybe someday I'll be strong enough to realize and admit where I've waded into sin, and be able to bring myself out of it and towards God. If you are anywhere near where I am right now, you might want to read this out loud too, because it really, really helps with direction:

Praying through scripture today is from Matthew 5:13-16 (the message translation)
"Jesus, I know that you came not to diminish the Word or the law, but to be its complete fulfillment. Help me to be the true sald-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors on the earth. Forgive me for the areas that I've lost my saltiness and help me to become useful. I commit to no longer hiding my light under a bucket, rather I'm setting it out so that it may shine brightly and bring out the God-colors in this world. You are not a secret to be kept but a promise that should shine brightly as a city on a hill. Now that I've placed you there, give me the strength to shine; to be open with my life, generous and prompting others to open up to you, our generous Father in heaven.

Amen.