The big consequences of little compromises - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2016/04/the-big-consequences-of-little-compromises/?cat_orig=faith
Pastor Greg Laurie notes, 'If you are not moving forward, you are going backward'
I heard about a large redwood tree that had actually stood for some 400 years and had survived lightning strikes on 14 separate occasions, not to mention storms and numerous earthquakes. But one day, without any warning, this majestic tree came crashing to the ground. As investigators looked into what brought it down, they discovered that little beetles had slowly eaten their way through the fiber of this impressive tree until it suddenly and tragically fell.
We have our guard up when it comes to the big things in life. We are ready and braced for the earthquakes, the lightning and the so-called big sins of life. Meanwhile, the little bugs of compromise eat their way through the fiber of our lives. We lower our guard here. We bring our standards down there. And then, day by day, it catches up with us, and we start crashing to the ground.
The Bible clearly warns that in the last days, people will fall away from the faith. In fact, it is a sign of the last days (see 1 Timothy 4:1).
The question is this: Could you or I ever become one of these casualties? Yes, we could. We have the potential, and sadly, even the propensity to sin. It's there inside all of us. We are born with it, and that combustible nature of sin lies within us. We must always be aware of that. That is why we must always keep our guard up.
I had the opportunity to observe lions up close some years ago when I was in Africa. We watched them from the truck we were in, but our guide warned us that if we stepped foot outside the vehicle, we wouldn't live to tell about it. Those lions looked so innocent and lovable. But they also were very powerful, and they would pounce on us if we put ourselves in a place of vulnerability.
That is how sin is sometimes. It can look as though it won't really harm us. We think we can handle it. And that makes us even more vulnerable. When you know your vulnerabilities, you take extra measures to protect yourself from what is harmful.
But when you take an attitude that says, "I would never fall to that," be careful. When you feel the most secure in yourself, when you think your spiritual life is the strongest, your doctrine is the soundest, and your morals are the purest, then you should be the most on your guard and the most dependent on God. Your greatest virtues also can become your greatest vulnerabilities. The Bible says, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT). You always must keep your guard up until the very end.
Consider some familiar people of the Bible who fell in the very areas in which they allegedly were the strongest. When we think of Abraham, for example, we immediately think of faith. Yet we know that Abraham had lapses in his faith on a number of occasions.
Moses was identified in the Scriptures as the meekest man on earth, yet ironically, it was pride and presumption that dealt him a fateful blow.
We know the incredible, supernatural exploits of the mighty Samson, yet it was natural desires that brought him down.
The very area in which Simon Peter thought he was the strongest was actually where his weakness turned out to be. Peter had been so sure of himself. But then he fell, just as Jesus predicted he would.
That is why we need to keep our guard up. These examples should stand as warnings for us that we must never rest on our laurels. The apostle Paul said, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14 NLT).
We need to not only forget the mistakes we've made, but in some ways, we also need to forget some of our great victories. Let me explain. It doesn't mean that we forget what God has done for us. It doesn't mean that we forget the great things that have happened. But we can't live in the past. Yes, it's great what God did yesterday. But what about today? And what about tomorrow?
During a military campaign, a young captain was recommended to Napoleon for promotion to a higher rank because of his great courage on the battlefield. When Napoleon asked why they suggested the captain, one of his commanders explained the unusual courage he had displayed on the battlefield a few days earlier. Because of what the young captain had done, a great victory was won.
"That's good," the general said. "But what did he do the next day?"
We have to keep moving forward spiritually, because the minute we stop moving forward will be the minute we start moving backward. And we will begin to backslide. Backsliding is the opposite of spiritual progression. If you are not moving forward, then you are going backward - not all at once, and not overnight. When you start relaxing your grip, you will start to slip. So keep moving forward, lest you lower your guard and cave in to compromise.
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