The following is a Russian parable. A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft, soothing voice, “Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let us negotiate the matter.” Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur coat.” “Good,” said the bear, “that is a negotiable question. I only want a full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromise.” They sat down to negotiate, and after a time the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat. Compromise rarely satisfy both sides in equal measure.¹ They are absolutely lethal to building strong God-like character.

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How Moral Failure Occurs

• A moral failure doesn’t just happen.
• If you experienced a moral failure in your life, and you remember the day it took place, I am telling you it didn’t happen on that day.
• You may have time-stamped that date in your mind and wish you had that day back.
• Maybe you wished you could do that day over again and avert the negative outcome.
• But, the moral failure didn’t happen on that day.
• You’d have to go much further back in time to find the cause.
• Character failures happened during those hundred’s of decisions you made previous to that day.
• It’s where you compromised a little here and you compromised a little there.
• It’s those compromises that led up to the failure.
• So you ever want to build strong character, you don’t start with the character trait alone.
• “You know, I’m going to learn all about this trait and I am going to get good at it.”
• It’s not knowing the mechanics of being honest.
• That’s not where you start.
• It doesn’t even start with reading Bible verses on honesty.
• In last week’s blog post “Why Character Needs to Be King in Jesus Followers“, there were ten verses on the subject.
• You start with dedicating yourself to those verses, to do them, to obey them no matter what.
• Commitment to obey is where you begin.
• You start with the dedication, ‘I will not compromise my values.’
• You start by addressing the spirit of compromise.

The Why of Compromise

• What is compromise?
• What does the word mean?
• The word compromise is made up of two words, ‘com’ and ‘promise’.
• Developing character comes from making a promise to yourself.
• A promise that you won’t lie.
• A promise that you will be honest.
• A promise that you’ll walk in humility, not in pride.
• A promise that you will walk in whatever character trait it is you are trying to develop.
• That’s a promise you make to yourself.
• When you com-promise or compromise, you are accepting a standard or standards that are lower than is desirable.
• In fact, one definition of compromise is a dishonorable or shameful concession.
• So again, you can’t develop good character in your life by just dealing with the character trait itself.
• You develop it by first refusing to compromise.
• And then stick the landing.
• Now, write this statement down by Oral Roberts and don’t ever forget it.

Whatever you compromise to keep, you will ultimately lose.

• If you compromise your values, your ethics, to keep some money in your pocket, you’ll ultimately lose that money in the long run.
• If you compromise in your relationships, for whatever temporal satisfaction you may experience from that compromising moment, you will ultimately lose those relationships.
• Whatever you compromise to keep, you will lose.
• Eventually, all the books will balance.

How Does Compromise Occur

• Sherman and Hendricks have a seven-step process that, if left unrecognized, could lead to moral compromise:
  1. A failure to commit ahead of time to do the right thing.
  2. Underestimating evil and flirting with dangerous temptations, thus being exposed to far more powerful evils.
  3. A failure to recognize the numerous forms of compromise lurking at every corner of life.
  4. A failure to recognize the smooth flatteries and enticing fantasies of temptations. For example, overstating expenses on your expense report. After all, your company has a large budget and you’ve been a loyal employee who works overtime.
  5. Succumbing to slick rationalizations. I have a Christian acquaintance who is proud of the fact that through the process of bartering he can avoid paying additional income tax, even though this is illegal.
  6. A sudden, deliberate choice to give in to sin.
  7. A failure to consider the costly consequences of sin.²

Character: In the Work Place

Colossians 3:22 (KJV) — 22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

• This verse in Colossians three refers to character in the workplace.
• Why would we take valuable time to talk about character in the workplace?
• Maybe we should just talk about character in church?
• The truth is you are who you are no matter where you are.
• Character-wise, you’re the same person at work that you are at home.
• There’s not two of you.
• Your better twin is not who comes to work.
• If you cheat on your taxes at home, you’ll cheat on your paperwork at work.
• If you will lie to your spouse at home, you won’t have any trouble lying to the person you report to at work.
• People do this and smile while they are at church.
• When you lock your front door to come to work or push the remote on your garage door opener to come to your place of employment, your character goes with you.
• Vice-versa, when you can punch the clock to go home your character makes the return trip.
• You are who you are everywhere you go, church, work, home, it’s all the same.
• If you tell the truth at home, you’ll tell the truth at work.
• If you’re disciplined at home, you’ll be disciplined everywhere you go.
• If you strip away everything that you have, if we take the money away, the house, or houses away, the cars away, the recreational stuff away, all the assets away, if we take it all away, what’s left is who you are.
• And who you are today is based on hundred’s of decisions you have made and subsequently carved into your character leading up to today.

Call to Action:

Refuse to compromise the Word of God. That’s the message of the day. This comes before anything – before Bible reading, before devotions, before going to church. Committing to do the Word is the Jesus way of living successfully.

Question: What do you know about dealing with compromise that might help others in their everyday life? Please share your suggestions in the comments section (Disqus) below.

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