It usually happens without our even knowing. We change without realizing it. It takes another person, someone who knows us well, to say, “You’re different. You’ve changed!”
We protest, but they insist. We ask for evidence, and they mention little things we have started doing that we rationalize as inconsequential. Yet, we are bothered by their observation and wonder if by some chance they might be right. We ask ourselves, “What could cause me to change?”
Every personal relationship has a “rub off” effect. In some cases, it is minimal; in others, it is life-changing. The people we spend time with begin to influence how we think, speak, and act. The more time we spend with them, and the more we value their friendship, the more “rub off” they have on us.
In some cases, the “rub off” is very positive. We encounter people who raise us up, morally and intellectually. Unfortunately, we more often take on the negative influences of other people. This is exactly what happened to the people of Israel after God gave them the Promised Land of Canaan. Instead of driving out the people who had inhabited the land, the Israelites intermingled with them and within a short time became just like them.
The book of Judges is one of the darkest and most depressing books of the Bible. It records the history of a people chosen by God to be his instruments of rescue and redemption who instead fell headlong into an abyss of sexual perversion, brutal violence, and idol worship. The “rub off” effect of the Canaanites on the Israelites was overwhelming.
Spiritual compromise is as relevant today as it was in the time of the Judges. At first, it seems harmless. But in the end, many Christians find they have lost their relationship with Christ and become imitators of our culture. If you sense too much non-Christian thinking has rubbed off on you, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. It may be time to take a stand against compromise.
Sunday Morning Worship Service – 10:00 am