Camping in Compromise

I helped lower my friend to the bed, as she stammered in her drunken state. The party we were at had gotten out of hand. Things were said that couldn’t be unheard, and actions that couldn’t be undone. “It’s okay,” I said to her, stuffing my hurt down deeper.
 
I woke up with a physical and emotional hangover, as those hurt feelings rose back to the surface. Internally I lamented, How did things end up like this?
 
I wonder if Lot asked the same way as he walked away from smoldering Sodom. I wonder if he reflected on the events that had left him wife-less and homeless.
 
How did this nephew of Abram (who had been rescued once before, by the way) end up in this situation where he barely escaped utter destruction?

​If we look closely at Lot’s journey, we can see a progression:
He encamped near Sodom (Gen 13:10-13).
He lived in Sodom (Gen 14:12).
He became a leader of Sodom (Gen 19:1).
 
I would wager that Lot wished he could go back and reverse his choice to live near the infamously wicked city of Sodom. At the time Lot had reasoned his decision— anyone in their right mind would choose a lush, well-watered plain over one that is rocky and arid.
 
If I look closely at my own journey, I recognize a similar pattern. I reasoned that the good land of acceptance was better than the alternative loneliness. I encamped near places of sin, and it wasn’t long before I found myself living in compromise. Even then I reasoned, “At least I’m not as bad as so-and-so.” Eventually, with little self-awareness, I became a well-established member of the “city.”
 
Reasoning is a slippery slope that leads us to desolate places of compromise. Can you think of a situation, past or present, in your life, that left you spiritually impoverished and full of regrets?
 
We all face situations where we are tempted to reason a less-than-ideal decision. So how do we avoid the pitfall of settling?
 
Read the following verses from Psalm 1:1-3 where we see a familiar progression. Pay special attention, in the middle, to the psalmist’s prescribed escape plan:
 
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers” (Ps 1:1-3, emphasis added).
 
Did you catch it? The antidote to reasoning is wisdom, found in the Word of God. When we commit ourselves to delight in, meditate on, and obey God’s instructions, we set ourselves up for a life of abundance.
 
Stop right now and take note of any areas of compromise in your life--
 
A friendship with someone of the opposite sex
A television show that is less-than-kosher
A group of co-workers you eat lunch with who spread rumors and gossip
 
Whether you’re encamped near, living in, or a leader in any place of sin, it’s never too late to turn from your ways and turn back to God’s again.
 
Take the hand of Jesus, and run. Don’t look back, friend.
 
Make a plan to get in the Word of God, and make it the ultimate authority in your life. Don’t tolerate that old friend, Reason, anymore and you will find your life, in time, flourishing once again.

Memory Verse: “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.” Psalm 119:1

Meet the Author

Hi, I’m Katie Gibson! My incredible husband Craig and I have been married for 15 years and live in North Atlanta with our three children. My favorite things include black coffee, small group, date nights, and the Atlanta Braves. I'm passionate about teaching the truth of God's Word in a practical and encouraging way that helps others experience the abundant life Jesus promised. Join me on my journey of knowing God in the midst of ministry, marriage and motherhood at www.katiegibsonwrites.com.