“You Love What You Give Yourself to.”
I heard John Wimber say that once and thought how true it was.
We can give ourselves to good things and we can give ourselves to sinful things. (or things which are a waste of time)
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? –Romans 6:15-16
The pressure to compromise our lifestyle is one of the greatest battles that comes our way. We all experience peer pressure, no matter what our age. The pressure to compromise makes a 5-year-old scream a dirty word, or a 16-year-old get drunk at a party. The same pressure can persuade a Christian to cheat on a business deal, and then say, “Everyone does it.”
Christians are called to stand firm and not be seduced by peer pressure, even though sometimes it is very difficult to stand alone or stand out in the crowd. Most of the time you’ll feel better for keeping your principles, although there might be times when you lose a friend, a job, or something valuable to you. Christians are always called to stand on the side of righteousness, even when it is unpopular to do so.
If you have trouble withstanding pressure to compromise, I recently read three principles to help:
• Everyone you spend time with has an influence on you. Choose your friends wisely.
• Remember your uniqueness. You are special in God’s eyes.
• Seek first the kingdom of God. Pleasing God is better than pleasing your friends. (Live for an audience of One.) Here is a great verse to live by,
Micah 6:8
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,a
and to walk humbly with your God.
Blessings,
Thora
