It was an average paperback novel about high finance, greed, and corruption. In the opening chapter the Chief Financial Officer of a corporation, a man known for his unbending ethical business practices, had just finished negotiations with a group of lawyers representing a company who was proposing a lucrative merger. The CFO was not impressed with the initial offer and had reservations about the financial integrity of the company proposing the merger.
Back in his hotel room the man was tired and worn out after another grueling day of what had become decades of grueling years. It was not easy being the one who stood up for what was right, even when fortunes were to be made with minor compromises. The doorbell sounded. He went to the door to find an attractive woman who simply said, “If there is anything you want, anything, I’m next door.”
Within what seemed like a split second he found himself where he never would have expected, never would have dreamed of – in the arms of a high-level escort. He justified the rendezvous by listing all the temptations he had resisted in the past. Nobody was perfect. He deserved a break.
The next day, the photos appeared under his door. He had been compromised and the company proposing the merger would use it to blackmail him. Later that day, the man threw himself out of his 12th story hotel room, destroyed by the thought that his life had been shattered by an indiscreet compromise.
There is a high cost to pay when we compromise what we believe, what we stand for. This is especially true in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. We live in a world which constantly invites us to make both little and big compromises in our relationship with Jesus. The compromises are often subtle and seem to have little importance, but they are always designed to accomplish one thing, take us away from Christ.
If you feel yourself slowly drifting down the current of moral compromise, join us for our worship service this Sunday morning. The time to take a stand against compromise is now and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am