The Temptation to Compromise

Today’s USA Today front page story says Afghanistan is increasingly Obama’s war—40% of Americans now believe it was a mistake to go to war. As the war efforts droned on in 2010 with marginal success, the Obama administration, eager to find a political solution, encouraged the Karzai government to negotiate, i.e., compromise, with the Taliban (who are allied with Al Quaeda). And so, discussions began…

Until last week, when it was revealed that the top-level Taliban commander the U.S./NATO alliance had been negotiating with was an impostor—he had no authority to speak for the Taliban at all. The Taliban must be laughing their heads off! But this is no laughing matter—decisions about winding down the war by 2014 were based on these deceptive discussions. I wonder what affect this will have on our Administration’s future attempts at negotiation and compromise with the enemy!

The SPIRITUAL parallel is inescapable. When the pressure of warfare increases, so does the temptation to compromise. Growing weary of the conflict of flesh & spirit (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 13:14), we are tempted to relax our stance. Or conflicts with co-workers, friends or family who oppose our godly principles (Matt. 10:36) may result in our acquiescence! We are rapidly moving toward a cultural crisis where intolerance (refusal to compromise) will not be tolerated. But James says “…don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God?” (4:4).