“Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.” (1 Kings 18:21, NLT)
The verse above is part of the famous challenge of faith on Mount Carmel. There, four-hundred-and-fifty prophets of Baal prayed and sacrificed to their god against Elijah. Elijah, standing alone, prayed and made sacrifices against these false prophets and Baal. In the end, our God accepted Elijah’s sacrifice. Only God showed up! The lies of the false prophets were proven that day. It was a show of force by God against the idolatry of the Baal worshippers. It was Elijah’s statement of faith in the only true God.
The reason for the great challenge of faith on Mount Carmel was that the people of Israel had become lax in their beliefs. They settled. They began to have the opinion that if a person wanted to worship an idol, that was fine. If a false prophet wanted to push their religion, that too was fine. Elijah attacked this compromise of faith. He questioned in the scripture above, “How much longer will your waver, hobbling between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). Elijah was sick of those who called themselves faithful to God but settled into a lifestyle that accepted Baal worship, idols, and idolatry.
Archaeologists who have studied that period of history from the time of Elijah have found little “house idols” among the ruins of the homes of the Israelites. Essentially, the people at the time were fooling around with other gods. They did not remain devoted only to God. They followed the “prevailing winds” of the time, slipping into Baal worship and idolatry. Sins crept in. The respect for God waned. The people of Israel settled with a compromising faith, being comfortable with “two opinions or religions” instead of rising up for God. Even their king had thus compromised his faith.
There were only two times that I remember deciding not to perform a wedding. One of those was for a friend. The friend came to me with his fiancé. He wanted to get married. I told him that I was thrilled he had found someone to love. We set up a date and time for pre-marital counseling, which I require before any wedding I perform. At that pre-marital session, I was shocked. During the time of discussion, I asked, “Why did you decide to marry Gwen?” He responded, “Well, to tell you the truth, I didn’t get any other offers!” He laughed a little at the response, but I didn’t think he was joking. After more conversation, I found out that Gwen was getting married, because she “wanted children and was getting older”. It sounded as if her biological clock was calling the shots on who to marry! The two had “settled”. Both were willing to go into a marriage in which they weren’t fully committed. Both wanted to get married and start a family so badly that they “settled” for the first person who came along who seemed decent enough to marry. True love wasn’t there. They weren’t committed to each other. I was afraid that their commitment and love would not last in time. Neither of them ever even said how much they “loved” each other. What clinched it for me was when asked why he wanted to marry Gwen, my Christian friend said, “Nothing better has come along for me.” What would happen if something better came along after they were married???????
If a person getting married is only “settling” to make a lifelong commitment with the first person who comes along willing to do it, the marriage isn’t going to last. If a person goes into a relationship with God only to “settle” with that relationship “until something better comes along”, the connection between God and that person is not going to stand the test of time. Jesus told His followers, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’” (Mark 12:30). Did you notice the “ALLS” in this verse? God wants ALL your heart, not part of it! God wants to take first place in ALL your mind, not just the religious part! God wants the commitment of ALL your soul, not the part that is left over! In marriage, it’s all or nothing. In a relationship with God, it is all or nothing. There is no room for “settling” when it comes to a relationship with God, “until something better comes along”!
Gary Bauer, who was president at the time of the Family Research Council, took time off his work in Washington, DC to visit Iowa. He wanted to leave the limelight and craziness of Washington for some relaxation on vacation. He needed to step back from his hectic schedule. After a few days in Iowa, Gary commented on how excited he was to see the strong moral character of the people in Iowa. He enjoyed hearing about their church life, their families, and their community projects.
Charles Stanley heard about Gary Bauer’s vacation. Stanley wasn’t surprised by the stark contrast between crazy Washington, DC and serene Iowa. Charles Stanley commented: “How does a nation—America or any other—become spiritually torn and tattered? It is simple; the people who are the very heart of any country’s life give up and give in to mounting pressure to compromise what they know is right. In real life, a very small percentage of people want certain godless statutes installed. Yet if a nation’s majority wavers in confusion, more than likely these issues will face little debate.” (p. 195, Seeking His Face). Stanley was convinced that Bauer’s visit to Iowa brought home the fact that Washington, DC is full of too many people who have compromised their faith and seared their souls for the wealth and prosperity awarded them there. In essence, many in Washington, DC have “settled” spiritually. They have compromised their integrity. They have laid aside their faith in Jesus.
It is so very easy to “settle”. It is a slippery slope from allowing small sins to continue in your life to compromising your core values and beliefs. Beware “settling” in your spiritual life. Don’t let compromise and worldly ideals tamp down your moral fortitude. When you are willing to “settle” for a compromise in your beliefs, it won’t be long before you compromise in your relationship with God.
Are there some places in your life where you have “settled” for a half-hearted effort? Are there ways you have compromised your faith with worldly behaviors and ideals?
The reason for the great challenge of faith on Mount Carmel was that the people of Israel had become lax in their beliefs. They settled. They began to have the opinion that if a person wanted to worship an idol, that was fine. If a false prophet wanted to push their religion, that too was fine. Elijah attacked this compromise of faith. He questioned in the scripture above, “How much longer will your waver, hobbling between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). Elijah was sick of those who called themselves faithful to God but settled into a lifestyle that accepted Baal worship, idols, and idolatry.
Archaeologists who have studied that period of history from the time of Elijah have found little “house idols” among the ruins of the homes of the Israelites. Essentially, the people at the time were fooling around with other gods. They did not remain devoted only to God. They followed the “prevailing winds” of the time, slipping into Baal worship and idolatry. Sins crept in. The respect for God waned. The people of Israel settled with a compromising faith, being comfortable with “two opinions or religions” instead of rising up for God. Even their king had thus compromised his faith.
There were only two times that I remember deciding not to perform a wedding. One of those was for a friend. The friend came to me with his fiancé. He wanted to get married. I told him that I was thrilled he had found someone to love. We set up a date and time for pre-marital counseling, which I require before any wedding I perform. At that pre-marital session, I was shocked. During the time of discussion, I asked, “Why did you decide to marry Gwen?” He responded, “Well, to tell you the truth, I didn’t get any other offers!” He laughed a little at the response, but I didn’t think he was joking. After more conversation, I found out that Gwen was getting married, because she “wanted children and was getting older”. It sounded as if her biological clock was calling the shots on who to marry! The two had “settled”. Both were willing to go into a marriage in which they weren’t fully committed. Both wanted to get married and start a family so badly that they “settled” for the first person who came along who seemed decent enough to marry. True love wasn’t there. They weren’t committed to each other. I was afraid that their commitment and love would not last in time. Neither of them ever even said how much they “loved” each other. What clinched it for me was when asked why he wanted to marry Gwen, my Christian friend said, “Nothing better has come along for me.” What would happen if something better came along after they were married???????
If a person getting married is only “settling” to make a lifelong commitment with the first person who comes along willing to do it, the marriage isn’t going to last. If a person goes into a relationship with God only to “settle” with that relationship “until something better comes along”, the connection between God and that person is not going to stand the test of time. Jesus told His followers, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’” (Mark 12:30). Did you notice the “ALLS” in this verse? God wants ALL your heart, not part of it! God wants to take first place in ALL your mind, not just the religious part! God wants the commitment of ALL your soul, not the part that is left over! In marriage, it’s all or nothing. In a relationship with God, it is all or nothing. There is no room for “settling” when it comes to a relationship with God, “until something better comes along”!
Gary Bauer, who was president at the time of the Family Research Council, took time off his work in Washington, DC to visit Iowa. He wanted to leave the limelight and craziness of Washington for some relaxation on vacation. He needed to step back from his hectic schedule. After a few days in Iowa, Gary commented on how excited he was to see the strong moral character of the people in Iowa. He enjoyed hearing about their church life, their families, and their community projects.
Charles Stanley heard about Gary Bauer’s vacation. Stanley wasn’t surprised by the stark contrast between crazy Washington, DC and serene Iowa. Charles Stanley commented: “How does a nation—America or any other—become spiritually torn and tattered? It is simple; the people who are the very heart of any country’s life give up and give in to mounting pressure to compromise what they know is right. In real life, a very small percentage of people want certain godless statutes installed. Yet if a nation’s majority wavers in confusion, more than likely these issues will face little debate.” (p. 195, Seeking His Face). Stanley was convinced that Bauer’s visit to Iowa brought home the fact that Washington, DC is full of too many people who have compromised their faith and seared their souls for the wealth and prosperity awarded them there. In essence, many in Washington, DC have “settled” spiritually. They have compromised their integrity. They have laid aside their faith in Jesus.
It is so very easy to “settle”. It is a slippery slope from allowing small sins to continue in your life to compromising your core values and beliefs. Beware “settling” in your spiritual life. Don’t let compromise and worldly ideals tamp down your moral fortitude. When you are willing to “settle” for a compromise in your beliefs, it won’t be long before you compromise in your relationship with God.
Are there some places in your life where you have “settled” for a half-hearted effort? Are there ways you have compromised your faith with worldly behaviors and ideals?