830) So much of what we do today to be successful is to compromise when conflict arises. When you have a problem between a parent and child, compromise is a great tool. In marriages, there must be give and take so that the relationship can strengthen. There are times, however, that compromise should be avoided at all costs.

One such example is found in Daniel 1. The Israelites were given a blueprint of the laws God wanted his children to follow. These things included the 10 Commandments, food and clothing choices and more. In the first chapter of this book, Daniel and his 3 friends are chosen to work for the king of Babylon, so they needed to be trained. They are told they will eat the foods the king eats–which many in those days would jump at the chance, but many of these foods were not dishes that the Israelites were supposed to eat. Daniel refuses to compromise (though this refusal is given in a respectful way) and, ultimately, his refusal makes things better for the 4 men.

Sometimes not compromising is important. The difficulty is knowing when to and when not to. This takes wisdom and, as James tells us, “If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God,” (James 1:5), so ask.