Living Large in a Small World: A Look Into Philippians 1Sample

Living Without Compromise

I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past (Philippians 1:20).

It’s human nature to try to get the most out of life. We want to maximize our pleasure and minimize our pain. It’s also human nature, based on the divine image we were given at Creation, to crave meaning, purpose, and lasting impact.

What happens when those two desires come against each other? How do we respond when our pleasure/pain impulses are at odds with our meaning/purpose impulses? We may have to compromise one or the other.

Paul was aware of the possibility of compromise, and he chose never to be ashamed by his choices—a bold statement in Greek and Roman cultures, where shame and honor were social currency. For Paul, honor implied boldness for Christ, and he had consistently chosen to be bold in the past. Now with the threat of pain and death, he had resolved to maintain his testimony and honor his Lord, regardless of the costs. There would be no compromise here.

Paul was physically in a precarious position. The empire had control over his body, and his life was in its hands. But contrary to the declarations of imperial loyalists, Caesar was not his lord. Jesus was. No matter how much power the empire seemed to have, Paul had a choice in how he lived and, one way or another, would continue to offer himself to Jesus. Whether in life or death—or actually in both—Paul would glorify Christ.

Re-Envision Your Choices

We live in a precarious position too—usually not in a life-or-death situation, but still under constant pressure from our culture to either conform to its image or experience the discomfort of noncompliance. We daily make choices about honor and shame. Will we honor Jesus and therefore risk being shamed by our world? Or will we honor our world and risk dishonoring Christ? When our pleasure/pain impulses are at odds with our meaning/purpose impulses, which will we value more? These are not rare choices to make. They confront us in subtle ways every day.

When you see your life as a series of choices to honor Christ—whether through enjoying his many gifts and blessings, bearing spiritual fruit, or offering your life to him—everything takes on a new meaning. The abundant life he offers comes with freedom and joy, but it also means living without compromise. You abandon yourself to him, boldly worship him, and see yourself as an instrument of his glory in life and death. You are his, and he is yours. And in his eyes, you will never be ashamed.