compromise?

This past weekend, while away in Charleston, I went to see a movie. A movie, that quite honestly was raunchy and I would not recommend. However, even in my error of going, the Lord seemed to use it to question my heart and it’s intention.
The movie was about an election where the final deciding vote came down to one man and what he would choose. When the candidates discovered that this man would decide their fate in the election, they began to court him in order to swing his vote their direction and a competition to win his heart began to ensue. In wanting the vote and approval of one man, both candidates began to compromise on their beliefs, their character and their integrity. The entire movie was about how these two men forsook everything that they had stood for, believed in and testified to in order to get the approval of one.
Sitting in that theater, the Lord quietly asked me the question, that I will ask you today. A question that for most of us, we will deny and say no to, but we will be dishonest if we do. A question that if we answer yes to, will cause us to have to reevaluate everything and redirect our choices, our love and our hearts. A question that will challenge our faithfulness, our integrity and our heart.
What is the question? ……Would you sell your soul for the approval of one man?
While these candidates compromised everything for this one man, I had to question my own heart and see if that was true of me. Do we sell our souls, our values, our beliefs, our convictions, the truth…ever, for the approval of another man? We know what is right, what we believe, what is true, what we value, but we compromise in order to please another.
This could happen at work, compromising in order to please our boss. Or at home, compromising in order to please our husband or wife. At school, to be accepted and liked. All of us at some point choose to compromise who we are for the approval of another. We sell our soul to please another man.
As I watched on the screen and became disgusted with what I saw, the Lord began to show me that my heart was just like those men. Willing to compromise to please another. And therefore, had become an idolater in the process. For when you put anything or anyone before pleasing God, you have given it the place God alone deserves to occupy and have raised up an idol in your life.
Scripture is plain to say in Gal 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” That if we are seeking to please men, we are not His bondservant. Wow, now that hurts.
So to answer the question….will you sell your soul for the approval of one man? I had to answer both yes and no. Deciding that from this time forth, I would not compromise to please any man. Not family, not friends, not anyone. No, I would no longer sell my soul for the approval of another man.
And Yes…I would sell my soul for the approval of ONE MAN, Jesus. That my heart’s cry was that I would desire to love and please Him alone. This is no easy task. So as of today, I have begun to ask Him to accomplish that work in me. To make me love Him and want the approval of Him alone, selling my soul for Him alone and to Him alone, not compromising for anyone else. Selling out to Him. I have not arrived, nor have I got a bead on how to accomplish this, but I am quite sure the Lord will do the work in me, if I will comply. Will you join me in selling your soul to the ONE MAN and selling out for Him? Instead of being compromisers to be a man pleaser here?



ALL FOR YOU