Are you committed to compromise?
I picked up an email from a friend named Darold in South Carolina today. He was commenting on my recent book about holiness. He came up with an acroynm of sorts in relation to holiness.
Some of the words Darold used were..."complacent...carnal...Christians...continually under...compromise." It started me to think about Joshua 9:14 in the Bible. ..."The Israelite men "partook" of the food [of the spies] and did not consult the Lord."
If we are complacent and carnal, yes, we are sure to sin. But, being complacent goes beyond being satisfied with what you have and failing to act. It's being selfish, self-righteous, arrogant and prideful. It is placing ourselves above God's standard for us.
God's standard for us IS NOT perfection. That is for heaven. God wants us to make the decision daily that we are going to live differently. Live everyday to please Him and not ourselves. Because when we live to please Him, we find His joy. Not in the rigidity of a prison. Not being a prisoner to Him or a slave. He wants us to freely give ourselves to Him through our obedience.
His standard is for us to seek to live a life that is a reflection of Him and all His goodness and yes, grace. His grace to us, freely given to us, through His Son, Jesus' death on the cross.
Living a complacent life is a life committed to compromise. If your not a Christian and you don't want to be, that's great. At least you know how you feel and you are letting others know it.
But, if you are a Chrisitian and you have allowed compromise to rear it's head in your life through being complacent...your sinning.
It's time to make a choice. If you say your a Christian and your love God, you need to start showing it. God says you can't serve two masters. When you are complacent you are serving yourself. And if you would stop and "consult" with God about this...He would tell you exactly what He thinks about it.
When you seek to be filled with God, and controlled by His Spirit, you care about what He thinks. That means you spend time with Him to actually find out how He feels.
Spending time with God will let you know how He feels. It is what we do with what He wants that makes the difference.
A commitment to self will strengthen our relationship with this world and yes, ourselves. A full commitment to Him, God, means no compromise. But a pledge of loyalty to Him with our lives, and not just our words.
A. Miller 2006
posted by SHL @ 9/12/2006 01:07:00 PM
3 Comments:
Dear A. Miller:
This really is a topic that makes us examine ourselves. We have to be real with ourselves. Are we complacent? I read in James 1:22-24 today about being a hearer of the versus being a doer of the word. The Word said if we are hearers only, we are deceiving ourselves. We can be hearers and do nothing. But it's the doers that are blessed. If we are hearers of the Word of God only, we are complacent. Hearers go to church and leave church the same. Doers go to church feed from the Word of God and proceed to do that which is right. Complaceny is a dangerous place to be. We have to learn how to surrender our lives to God for the work that He wants to do in our lives...so I agree with you, we must not commit to being complacent, but be committed to the will of God in our lives. Be blessed.
Beverly
Hello, Beverly!
I hope you are well. I am glad to hear from you. I know you are blessed. We are also lifting you up. Thank you for doing the same for us!
I really like what you said in your blog. "Doers go to church [to] feed..." I think people forget why we are suppossed to go to church!
Yes, we have to "do." But, after we praise and pray and feed! We can't "do" if we don't "stop" to feed.
And yes, rightly said, "Complacency IS a dangerous place..." I pray we will avoid the dangerous places. They are all around us...But so is our God!
We are definitely "going out people." We are "proceeding" people, as well. I hope also as you say in procedding "to do that which is right."
We have to move on for Him. If we are going to please God that is what we have to do. Go and do for Him.
But, I pray we will "stop and be" with Him. If we are not going to be with Him, we can't go out for Him.
Feed us O'Lord our God. Our rock and redeemer. And not only our ever present help in trouble. But, our very strength and life.
Love you Bev.! Go out now. Be blessed in your coming and going out with Him. And in the nourishment He will provide for His people through His very word and Spirit.
AM/SHL :)
Hey, Jaemin
It's good to hear from you again!
I liked your blog entry. I liked the part especially about "...It only brings bondage."
There are so many things in our lives...situations...choices. Sin brings bondage. We have to work everyday on not getting "entangled," in sin or on the choices we make.
Jesus is the bondage breaker. We have to work at not letting our selves get "bound" again once God has freed us.
Have a good week. Blog when you can...we missed you!
SHL
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