3 THINGS THAT MAKE MEN BOW

The only money I had in the office that day was the church offering. It was the first few weeks after church started. I needed to help a friend make a call and I had no airtime. It was hard not to “borrow” from the money. It was also hard not to rationalize and take a little for airtime. My friend got offended and disappointed in me. 

The very next day after that pressure to dip my hands into church funds, I got a call from a dear friend who mentioned that he would love to partner with the ministry monthly. 

Friends, you will face situations that make men bow. You must not. 

Ex. 20:5 says that “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them…” You may not be bowing to idols but are you bowing to pressure to compromise, pleasure and even persecution? What will make a generation that has seen the power of God like no other bow to another god? Same as what makes many seek other options than God: 

1. PRESSURE: When men wait on God and for God and they feel God is not showing up, they bow to pressure. They settle for quick fixes. They try to help God. At a point on the journey of waiting, Abraham was also pressured into sleeping with Hagar while waiting for the promise. He ended up with something that troubled the promise.

2. PLEASURE: Pleasure has ruined more lives than persecution. Men seek to forget God when the journey is smooth. Daniel said No to “defiling food”. Esau caved in. Joseph said No to “Free but costly sex”. Samson Caved in.  

Jesus said No to Devilish Wealth. Judas embraced it. 

3. PERSECUTION: Some are threatened out of faith in God- loss of jobs, denial of funding, death threats etc. Paul went through many threats but stood for God. Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego refused to bow in Babylon. When persecution and pressure do not work, the devil tries a more subtle weapon, which is pleasure. When an external attempt fails, implosion can work. Balaam tried cursing Israel. When it failed, they turned to the weapon of seduction. 

In the last days, the love of many will wax cold (Matt. 24:12). Is yours cold?