5
Signs You
Are Drifting
Towards Compromise
By Carey NiEuwHof
How does compromise start?
Sometimes it begins intentionally.
You know you’re cheating. You know
you’re lying. You took the bait. But
often, compromise doesn’t begin that
way. It happens more subtly.
As Paul the Apostle admitted, the
struggle has an innate quality to it.
Compromise is in you, and life brings
it out of you. Maybe you’re surrounded
by people who compromise, who have
made a hundred little concessions.
It’s not hard to drift. It’s not difficult
to give in. Go with the flow, and before
you know it, you’ve crossed the line.
So what are some telltale signs you’re
drifting, that you’re not becoming
who you intend to be? Here are five.
1. There’s a Growing Gap Between
Your Public Life and Private Life
Your character is compromised when
you can no longer tell the world
the truth. You project an image of
yourself that isn’t accurate. You do
a simple and innocent version of this
when you have guests to your home
for dinner. You mow the lawn, clear
the crumbs off the kitchen counter,
tell the kids to
clean their rooms, pick up the towels
off the bathroom floor, and put out
fresh flowers. Then you pretend you
live like this all the time.
Sprucing up your home for guests
is pretty benign, but more serious
is when you project to the world an
exterior image of who you are that
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