1 Kings 11:4
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
You will get old someday. You may not think that the decisions you are making now will make a difference when you get older, but you must always realize that you will get old, and the energy and drive you had when you were young will not be the same when you get old.
Solomon made the mistake of thinking he could handle compromising decisions when he was younger. He married an Egyptian woman, but that spurred him to marry many other heathen women that he had no business marrying. Though he stood strong while he was young, these weak associations turned him when he got older.
One of the troubling things I have seen in my ministry over the years are men who stood strong on most things when they were young, but changed when they got older. They changed because they stood strong on most things but were weak in one area, but they never dealt with that weakness. Instead, they managed the weakness while they were young, but didn't realize that weakness was their future. They thought they could handle it, but it became who they are today because they never corrected their weakness. Let me share several principles about this critical truth.
First, it matters not how many areas you are strong in, that one area of weakness or compromise is still wrong. God does not forgive you because you are strong in most areas; rather, He demands and expects you to obey Him in all areas. To obey God in most areas but not in one area is not to obey God at all.
Second, you will be tomorrow what your weakest association is today. I have often said that you are as strong as your weakest association. Associations do matter because they influence you. You may think they are not influencing you, but the fact that you are spending time with them means they are influencing you. Therefore, you are foretelling your future positions by today’s weakest associations.
Third, age is not an excuse to compromise. It does not matter if you are an older person; you have never earned the right to compromise. Likewise, it does not matter that you are young and think you can handle compromise; compromise at any age is still wrong.
Fourth, strength is not an excuse to compromise. You may think that you are strong enough to handle a little compromise, but the problem with that mentality is that you don't know what your strength will be tomorrow. You may be able to handle a “little” compromise today, but the fact that you are willing to accept any amount of compromise shows that you will accept more compromise tomorrow.
Fifth, you may be able to handle weaker stances when you get old, but those you influence with those stances will influence the next generation to compromise. The greatest damage of compromise is normally not the person who initially compromises, but those they lead are influenced that compromise is okay. Always remember what you do in moderation the next generation will do in excess. You must never accept any level of compromise for that gives the next generation an excuse to accept more compromise.
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