“In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only the high places did not end; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” (2 Kings 12:1-3 NASB)
Ronald’s parents were very strict in regard to what they would allow in their house. Really, from Ronald’s early childhood, until he was 16 years old, his parents did not compromise on their conviction that there are certain things they would not allow in their house. Some might say that Ronald’s parents were strict, but really, they were just being straight in teaching their children how to live godly lives. As you would expect, sometimes Ronald would complain, but he always complied, that is until he hit the age of 16.
Hitting that age when youth can start driving and when interest in being with friends at times outranks being with family, Ronald’s parents started to make some compromises. They allowed their son to use language that was unmistakingly inappropriate because it seemed to be the norm on TV, on the school bus, and in the streets. They no longer subtly screened the friends Ronald would hang out with on weekends. Ronald started to make his own choices on certain things, and his parents started reasoning, “He will learn by living. He will learn that mistakes come with consequences that one would rather not face.”
One day, there was a knock on the door. It was a hard knock, and his parents perceived that it sounded like the person knocking was a person with great authority. They were correct. It was a police officer standing there with Ronald. The parents were shocked when the policeman explained the reason why he had brought Ronald home. I won’t go into the details but know that the parents could only thank God that the policeman did not take their 16-year-old son to jail.
After the policeman left, the parents sent Ronald to his room. They would talk with him later, but first they had to have some soul-searching dialogue between the two of them. They tried to figure out what happened. Dad just shook his head. Mom did not just shake her head, but she stood up and started talking about how they had compromised as parents and allowed ungodliness to overtake their efforts to parent Ronald in a way that he would become a responsible, godly young man.
Listen now! Making compromises, allowing the unacceptable to enter one’s life will have consequences. That is not just true for the children God has entrusted us with to raise in the way he should go, but it is true to adults like you and me.
You read the opening verses about Joash. Well, below are a couple of verses about this king of Judah, a person in the bible who started off good, but compromises were made. He began honoring God and introducing religious reforms to bring people back to God, but at some point, Joash compromised and allowed the people he ruled to engage in idolatry. His compromise led to him doing things that were not pleasing to God. He got evil counsel. He abandoned the house of God. He even had the prophet Zedekiah skilled because of the prophet’s efforts to reel him back in to where he began. Not only should we recognize that good starts are not enough, and that you need good finishes. But we must be on guard about making little compromises that put us in a position where we will do some abandoning; abandon the church, abandon adhering to God’s principles, abandon the effort to be a godly influence every place we go and at every stage on the chronological ladder of life.
Read the closing verses and see what happened to King Joash. You can read the rest of the story when you get home and you find yourself saying, “I don’t have anything to do.” But for now, meditate and pray for God’s help, to avoid having a great start and a bad finish as one of His chosen. Also, remember these two words of wisdom, “Don’t compromise!” Be blessed!
“Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And his servants rose up and formed a conspiracy; and they struck and killed Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla.” (2 Kings 12:19-20 NASB)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
This is such a valuable lesson to take to heart. Compromising will certainly lead to death; where sin will take you.
Agree and the “death” can be a variety of consequences, ultimately eternal death, but in this life, things which we would rather not endure. Be blessed!