Living an uncompromised life is one of the believers’ challenges in this polluted world. Pressure from all corners is pushing many to an arena of compromise, and unfortunately, many believers who hold on to God in spite of the pressure of this world sometimes feel neglected by those who are meant to encourage them.
Erroneously, due to the level of unrighteousness in our societies, many believe that living a righteous and spotless life is impossible in this polluted world. However, I can assure you that many believers haven’t bowed down to the pressure of this world. When Elijah thought he was the only one who hadn’t forsaken the covenant of God and bowed to Baal, the Lord told him, “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18).
So, there are many people out there whom God has preserved for himself. These people genuinely love the Lord and desire to live a spotless life. But unfortunately, the world is unfriendly, making it extremely challenging to stand upright.
A friend told of a man who was fired because he refused to have an extra-marital affair with his boss. After he was fired, things were so difficult that his wife blamed him for not sleeping with his boss. While my friend was sharing this story with me, the Holy Spirit whispered to me that to live an uncompromised life in this polluted world, you must strive to be too relevant to be ignored; otherwise, you will experience so much pain for living for the Lord. Immediately, the story of Daniel and the three Hebrews flashed through my mind. When certain Chaldeans accused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego of not worshipping the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s name was not mentioned because he recently solved a major problem which made king Nebuchadnezzar fall prostrate before him and pay him honor. Due to his relevance, he had gained favor that none could speak against. Therefore, during the regime of King Nebuchadnezzar, no one accused Daniel.
So, it occurred to me that a Daniel kind of life makes living a righteous and holy life more rewarding and enjoyable. Even though many doors may be shut against you for living for the Lord, but definitely, the kind of life Daniel lived (a life of relevance) forces many other great doors to open. Scriptures reveal to us that Daniel was so relevant in the land of Babylon and served many kings. One of the ways to gain such relevance in this generation is through relevant knowledge and meaningful contributions to the world. Don’t be deceived, beloved; the importance of knowledge cannot be overemphasized. For instance, firing those holding key positions unjustifiably in many organizations will be considered unfair and may subject these organizations to significant losses. If such people are fired for living for the Lord, at their fingertips, many great doors will open because their level of knowledge is desirable everywhere. They are relevant in their fields and possess what it takes to put the world under them—opposing forces standstill when they talk because of the heights they have attained. These people can live an uncompromised life effortlessly in this polluted world.
Attaining such heights requires constant improvement in one’s self-worth. Let no one deceive you; your self-worth is much more valuable and important than your possessions. Running after material possessions should not be the goal of believers, but constantly and daily working on one’s self-worth, which is usually achieved through acquiring knowledge. The truth is, as your self-worth increases, material things will run after you. What it takes others a couple of years to achieve, might not take you more than a few months. This is the more reason the Lord encourages us to grow in knowledge so that all He has in store for us can easily be delivered to us. Knowledge transforms humans from slavery to sonship, and the Word of God makes us understand that without becoming a son, we are not different from enslaved people. So, it’s incumbent on us to grow and strive for mastery in our endeavors so that the things others are running after will begin to run after us.
Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all.
Galatians 4:1
Therefore, if you desire to live an uncompromised life in this polluted world, the responsibility lies on you to grow and improve your self-worth by acquiring relevant knowledge. By so doing, you will put the world under your feet and gain the favor to live an uncompromised life in this polluted world.
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