Shifting Grounds

I’m sure you’ve been in that situation a couple of times, where you felt it would be fine just to shift your ground a bit. A little compromise won’t hurt anyone and of course we serve a loving God who is more than willing to understand. You are not alone. I guess we’ve all been there.

A story I heard in my school days came to my mind recently; a young man was known by most of the students in the school as a committed, uncompromising Christian. He frequently shared the gospel with his classmates. As far as they were concerned, he was an excellent example of a believer. During one of their examinations, they had a mix of questions that proved difficult to navigate and under this pressure, ‘Kevin’ let down his guards and joined the rest of the students in the examination malpractice. At the end of the day, the spotlight was beamed on him and the story of how he cheated in the exams was the news of the day. He went into his room and wept like Peter did after he denied Jesus Christ. He wept and asked for forgiveness and of course the Lord forgave him, but the damage had been done. The reputation that he spent years to build had been destroyed by this one little act. His testimony had been tainted forever.
Enticing opportunities to shift grounds abound in our lives as we walk the earth. It might even have become the culture at the place where we find ourselves and everybody seems to be doing it, including the pastors you respect. Funny enough, some of these opportunities present themselves as the key to the breakthrough we’ve been praying for. At such moments, angels along with the cloud of witnesses who have gone ahead of us are there, cheering us up and encouraging us not to let down our guards. You can imagine what would have become of the nation of Israel if Joseph had shifted his ground for Potiphar’s wife. Even Egypt would not have been spared because he would never have had the opportunity to meet Pharaoh’s butler and they would have died from the effects of the famine.

Paul encouraged the Philippians in Phil 1: 27 (NLT): “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ…” This should be our guiding principle. No matter how enticing the reward for just that little slip appears, it is nothing compared to what will accrue to you if you stand your ground. Joseph would have cheaply traded the palace for the position of chief servant in Potiphar’s house if he had just done it. The destiny of Israel would have been destroyed. Has it ever occurred to you that some destinies are tied to you? If you can stand your ground, your testimony will be spotless and you will never be ashamed to talk about God at any time and place for fear of the accusers. The name of the Lord will not be blasphemed because of you. Stand your ground because in the end, it is worth the while.