It does not matter how slowly you go; as long as you don’t stop, you will reach your destination. It is important not to forget that tomorrow is in the hands of the Lord and that all our tomorrows are a guaranteed victory. Raise up, shake the dust, fix your crown, regain your posture, rebuild your confidence, and keep going.
Today, I was thinking about the scripture that says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thing; sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:30, NKJV).
When God created a human being, He hid the knowledge of the future because he wanted his people to trust him. He says, “I have your tomorrow covered; simply match on by faith, dominate, and multiply.”
Why, then, do we spend most of our today concerned about what might happen tomorrow? Today’s compromise is due to what we perceive tomorrow holds. If we think that tomorrow is not ready for the actions we ought to take today, we tend to refrain from taking any action until we are certainly convinced, in our minds, of a better tomorrow. That is what I call settling for compromise.
Why do people compromise?
The main reasons for compromise are uncertainty about the future, fear of failure, and insecurity. Compromise is a means of attaining an end that is convenient but improper because it involves accepting standards that are lower than desired by reason of a perceived circumstantial future.
Because of uncertainty about the future, fear of failure, and insecurity, we settle for a compromise. Naturally, we set up goals and plans as a map to the kind of future we would like to have. We channel all our efforts toward ensuring that our future is secure. to the extent that we purchase insurance coverage as a financial safety net or a recovery plan in case of a disaster or an unfortunate event. Inherently, we all look for comfort, safety, and security in everything we do.
When the future view is obscured, human nature easily settles for compromise. Compromise is negative because it involves variation from original goals and desires, and it always works against faith. Compromise is traded for comfort, but not at a desired place or level. When a person believes that the task they are about to undertake is impossible or extremely hard to attain, they reach a compromise.
Melusi and Luthando decided to relocate to a beautiful tropical island, where they dreamed of establishing a business, giving birth, and raising their children. Getting there is a long journey, but it is possible to travel 21 days by road and 8 hours by boat, if all goes according to plan. The journey passes through several landmarks, towns, villages, gravel roads, and wild animals’ parks, and it involves crossing through two countries to get there. To start, they must pass through beautiful sugarcane farmstead roads that stretch for kilometers before they reach the natural vegetation where domestic animals feed. Soon after passing the long stretch of hard grass, plants, and trees, they would reach a warm village after a full day of traveling. That will be day 1.
From there, they would have to travel on the route leading to one of the biggest coal mines. That route is very frustrating to drive on because there are lots of road potholes caused by heavy-duty trucks and tipper trucks transporting coal. Within 5 hours, they would reach a small, decent town where they could buy fresh food, drinks, and refill gasoline.
Within 80 kilometers from the warm village, they would reach the first border post, taking them into a foreign land. The border crossing process is very efficient and smooth. Customs officials are friendly, and the queues are moving swiftly. As soon as they cross the border, they have to face a hard and rocky desert road that stretches for miles and miles. If all goes well, that road stretch can be completed in two weeks. Though there are several small villages and towns apart from each other, the route is not pleasant at all.
Should they successfully conquer that rocky route, they would reach their second border post and cross into a better-established country. Their processes and systems are familiar with what they used to, though underdeveloped. They would travel on the country highway, which would lead them to the coastal town where they would take their final stretch, spending 8 hours on a boat trip to their destination.
Thorough planning and preparations are required before setting off. Firstly, a map must be put in place, and the routes should be intentionally crafted, careful, and clearly marked on the map. Thereafter, the journey gets scheduled, a budget must be put in place, and every resource essential for the journey should be acquired, not forgetting the extra cash reserve in cases of emergency funding needs. The resources they need range from a suitable vehicle that will survive rocky, dusty, and sandy roads to camping equipment for proper, affordable rest, other essentials such as food, water, protective clothing and gear, vehicle spear parts, and an extra gasoline tank.
The set time to travel came. Melusi and Luthando were highly motivated, confident about their plan, and excited to get to live on their dream island. The planning and preparation process suggested that it would not be easy but possible with focus, persistence, hard work, and determination. Finally, they were on their way; they reached the first border post with little effort except fatigue. Soon after crossing, though they knew from research that they would be entering a tourist-risk area, their guard was down. The first problem they encountered was theft. They lost a few valuable items that were placed visible on a “smash and grab” attack. They stole their camera, binoculars, and other accessories, including their intentionally well-crafted, carefully crafted, and clearly marked map.
All the work that was done during the planning and preparation stages was gone. Yes, there was a minor setback, but because they planned the journey themselves, they knew every mark on that map by heart. Other items they lost were valuable but not essential for their progress. Discouraged, with minor regrets, they continued, setting out to get to their dream destination. The road ahead was still long, still risky, and contained lots of unpredictable outcomes. Losing the map made matters worse; however, they continued on their journey, going so far from home that turning back was no longer an option.
When they got to the beginning of the rocky desert route, they became extra careful, taking into consideration the theft encounter. While they proceeded carefully and alertly, they still hit a rock, which forced them off the road. The front left tire was completely damaged, and the back left tire was also damaged but repairable. This meant they had to use their spear tire plus the additional backup tire. They didn’t have a working spear tire anymore.
That was their second encounter, but their determination to reach the dream island was stronger than those minor setbacks. Because the incident was traumatic, they decided to set camp and rest. A journey that was supposed to take 21 days was extended by unplanned camping days to rest, recap, and re-think strategies.
After a few days, well rested, they broke camp and continued. Though their vehicle was slightly damaged, it was still able to take them to the coastal town and was in good condition to make a good sale. The proceeds from the sale were meant to be used to set up life when they get to the island.
As they continued, they encountered strong resistance. Though the distance between small towns was short, they had to drive carefully and slowly. Oil and gasoline refills became a challenge as some of the towns where they had planned to fill up had no open filling station. They had to keep setting up unplanned, costly camps. Progress became extremely slow; they were running out of cash reserves.
The last stroke was when their vehicle blew the engine due to low levels of oil. In addition to losing the transportation mode, they also lost their set-up funding vehicle. The cost of fixing the engine was so high that they opted to sell the vehicle, damaged as it was, to make a few bugs for survival. It was time for compromise. Luthando could find work teaching English in one of the schools, and Melusi, as a handyman, could make money fixing people’s houses. In a few months, they could make enough to buy another car and continue with their original plan to get to the island.
So, they decided to settle just for a while, they thought.
Little did they know that such a decision could pull them away from attempting to reach their desired destinations. However, at that time,they had no choice but to settle for a while. Melusi and Luthando’s ways and means of survival were found in a compromised foreign land. A small town became liveable; they made friends, and their first-born baby girl was born.
The thought of continuing their journey with a small baby, leaving their compromised comfort, facing unpredictable, rocky, hard roads forward again, and starting afresh on the island became a barrier to progress. So, they settled, and circumstances caused them to accept what life offered instead of going for what they truly wanted.
Do Not Settle,
ByBy God’s grace, there is almost always a way to survive for the righteous. Surviving is not a problem; working on reaching our dreams against all odds is the tough one, but only if we allow it to defeat us. Compromise robs us by putting us in a comfort zone where we will settle. My message today is: DO NOT SETTLE.
Do Not Settle!
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalms 34:19- NKJV)
Do not settle for inconvenience and compromise, because a place of inconvenience is supposed to be a place of rest and not of sudden comfort. Let no situation deter your faith or your ability to reach your set goals. Hold on to your standards, principles, values, and beliefs.
There can be many compelling reasons for choosing to settle, as in the case of Melusi and Luthando. It could be the fear of uncertainty that lies ahead, but always remember that remaining in a compromised place of inconvenience would hinder your growth. Yes, it might come with what might seem like security, but be aware that security is not real; it is a chain that prevents you from getting to higher levels.
You might face strong opposition and great obstacles, but at the end, you will conquer them all. The biggest achievement would be to defeat “compromise”; break free from the chain by taking the first step out of your comfort zone and reaching out to your dreams.
Clean Up, Rebuild!
Let me articulate another instance. When a person trips and falls flat on the ground, it happens very fast and unexpectedly. The damage thereafter depends on the extent of the fall and the surface. There could be no injury caused by falling, but it would still hurt, coupled with shame. Especially when there are spectators. In case of a minor or major injury, look up; there will be somebody standing next to you, ready to help you up. Hold tight to that helping hand and stand up. It takes courage to stand up, shack off, and walk tall.
A person falls while on the move; without noticing, they lose balance and fall. This means that an embarrassing and shameful fall happened while you were well on your way to realizing your dreams. Should you remain on that spot, you remain in shame and embarrassment; however, should you find strength to shack up and keep going, before you know it, you will reach a place where no one saw you fall but sees you walking tall.
Raise up, shake the dust, fix your crown, regain your posture, and rebuild your confidence. If your project fell to the ground, clean up the rubble, fix your foundation, and rebuild. Do not settle on the ground; never succumb to shame and embarrassment; ignore the pain you feel in your body; the more steps you take forward, the more you create the distance between your falling spot and your destiny; you won’t even notice that the pain is no longer there.
Keep Going
Make up your mind to keep going. “Life isn’t finding shelter in the storm. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” ―Sherrilyn Kenyon.
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