Almost Right

He did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. - 2 Chronicles 25:2

I once asked one of my spiritual heroes if he would consider changing the formation of his institutional leadership in a way that would move it from self-perpetuating to one that was freely-elected. He quickly replied that he would never agree to such an action. When I asked him why, he spoke of the difficulty of keeping an organization like the one he led unwaveringly true to biblical principles. Then he added a statement that I have never forgotten. He said:

"There is nothing more dangerous than being almost right."

There can be no doubt that compromise, when it comes to truth, is always dangerously destructive. When we begin to yield on clear absolutes, no matter how minor they may seem, we leave the door open for future "negotiation" and erosion. Too often we can observe the devastating effects of such compromise on the lives of individuals, families, communities, organizations, and nations.

To put it simply, "almost right" too often makes one completely wrong.

We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. - A. W. Tozer