No Compromise

“I want to make my life a prayer to You. No empty words. No white lies. No token prayers. No Compromise……..Keith Green 1978

Compromise.  Nearly all of us face the challenge daily.  Will I take the shortcut or the path of least resistance to make my life easier?

Last night I was reminded of three instances in the Book of Daniel from the Old Testament.

First, Daniel and his friends resisted the temptation to compromise their beliefs when first introduced to the Babylonian Empire by asking for a special diet so they could maintain their faithfulness to God.

Second, when the three Hebrews refused to worship the statue of Nebuchadnazzer, they were threatened with death. Certainly God would understand if they let their guard down just this once, so why not just go along. Do what you need to do. Their collective response?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
Daniel 3: 16-18

Most of us know the end of that incident, but what if God did not rescue them? What if God does not come to my defense?

No compromise.

Finally, after serving the empire for a large portion of his life, a decree was signed making prayer to anyone other than Darius the King illegal and punishable by being thrown to the lions. What was Daniel’s response?

He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Daniel 6:10

No Compromise. Relationships. Family. Career.