COMPASSION YES COMPROMISE NO
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. (Mark 14:38)
I recently received some replacement hearing aids. The previous set quit working. Oddly enough, it took me a long time for me to figure that out. I noticed different changes but did nothing about it. Finally, I addressed the issue and now I have new ones, that are crazy loud!
This made me think about a word I heard in the night as I prayed. I want to be sure that I properly represent my Lord. I want to maintain God sense. I do not want to offend, but the truth is an offense to some. As I prayed, I heard “compassion without compromise.”
What does that have to do with my hearing aids, you may say. Well, just as I adjusted to missing words, and less function from the hearing aids, we can adjust to what goes on around us as we attempt to be reasonable.
Have you ever felt repulsed by something and then thought that maybe you were just getting too narrow minded? Things can fool you. My hearing aids worked great with the phone and with listening to teachings, but they quit transmitting what I needed to hear around me.
When we compromise the word of God in order to conform to the compassion the world demands, we can cease to hear clearly what the Lord is saying. It became clear to me that something was wrong when my wife began to ask if I had my hearing aids on! Needless to say, there were some tense moments until I agreed that they did not seem to be working.
In Jesus’ words in Mark 14:38, He warned Peter to keep watch, so he did not fall into temptation. Peter did not pay attention. Jesus was referring to the earlier conversation when He warned Peter that he was going to deny Him three times. Peter was so sure that it could never happen that he missed the second warning.
Have you ever compromised and comforted yourself by minimizing the fact? Maybe a foul word sneaks past your lips, and it is not that big of deal! Maybe you feel like you should say something to someone and don’t, because you want to be compassionate and understanding.
Maybe someone is explaining to you that it is narrow minded to say that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and you say nothing. You comfort yourself thinking that you know better so why say anything? Maybe they need to hear the truth one more time.
Jesus had a lot going on in the garden, but He still had the compassion to warn Peter not to compromise. Sometimes the most understanding and compassionate thing we can do is crush a lie. Plant the seed. Stand up, stand up, for Jesus. We must not suffer loss. Let’s not let lies about being more understanding, convince us to compromise what we know is true. Jesus is Lord. Only Jesus!