The well known investor and billionaire Warren Buffet has called compound interest the eighth wonder of the world. In fact, he first became a millionaire in 1962 and has been compounding his first million for over 60 years. Why is compound interest such a powerful financial phenomenon? It comes down to leveraging time, often making small investments grow little by little. We might be familiar with this investing concept. But a similar compound effect can be found in our own lives and work—except it’s not interest, but compromise. Every single day you and I are faced with a myriad of choices, some minor and insignificant while others potentially life altering. What starts out as a little compromise of character can lead to catastrophic consequences. Each headline-making corporate scandal or pastoral fall from grace didn’t happen overnight. With each you could go back and trace a trail of small compromises compounding over time.
In the narrative of the book of Joshua, just after the events of Achan’s sin, the people of Israel were preparing to conquer other people groups who lived in the land God had promised to them. The city of Jericho was the first to fall. Chapters 9 through 12 catalog how Yahweh fought for Israel as they withstood both a six-king alliance and five-king alliance and conquered the people and lands of southern and northern Canaan. Yahweh even miraculously had the sun to stand still in order to secure Israel’s victory over an Amorite alliance.
Group after group, land after land—God was Israel’s guide and fighter.
But Israel wasn’t completely faithful to Yahweh in return. In Joshua chapter 9, a people group called the Gibeonites devised a scheme to remain in the good graces of Israel and not be destroyed like so many of the other people in Canaan up to that point. Joshua unwisely decided to make a treaty with them—“The men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD” (Jos 9:14). Yahweh had required Israel to seek His counsel, especially in matters dealing with foreign people groups. But in this situation, they compromised and did not ask God for wisdom first.
Chapters 13 through 24 focus less on taking the land by conquest and more on receiving the land from Yahweh through allotment. God reveals Himself here as the great Landowner and Land-Giver. Region by region, God systematically apportioned land to each of the twelve tribes of Israel, as He had always promised He would. But some of the tribes didn’t fully follow Yahweh’s instructions. Joshua 13:13 states, “Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites.”
Fast-forward many years into Israel’s existence. King David was opposed by the Maacathites, the same people that Joshua’s generation allowed to remain in the land. In addition, David’s son Absalom was born to Maacah, a Geshurite princess. We don’t see those future events here in the narrative of Joshua, but we do see multiple examples of incomplete obedience and compromise. Joshua 15 highlights how the tribe of Judah couldn’t drive out the Jebusites. Joshua 16 highlights the tribe of Ephraim’s failure to drive out the Canaanites at Gezer. Instead, they kept these enemies of Yahweh around and used them for forced labor. Joshua 17 tells of the western half-tribe of Manasseh and their inability to drive out the Canaanites in their region, also using them for forced labor. Over and over, the people of God chose to tolerate wickedness.
They took what God had meant for destruction and used them for their own benefit.
At the backdrop of this pattern of compromise and unfaithfulness is the consistent faithfulness of Yahweh. Joshua 21:43-45 serves as a summary statement of everything that had taken place up to that point as well as a thematic statement for the entire book of Joshua. Consider the amazing faithfulness of God with these words:
Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
As the process of land conquest and allotment comes to an end in Joshua 23 and 24, so does the long, fruitful life of Joshua himself. With his remaining strength, the elderly Joshua exhorted
the leaders and the people of Israel to be strong and obey Yahweh, to remain separate from foreign nations and their gods, to hold fast to Yahweh and His Word, and to be careful to love Him with their whole hearts. If they failed to do so, they would fall into a snare and would experience a whip and thorns until they perished. God would remain faithful, but there would be consequences if they turned from Him.
What can we learn from Israel’s failures? We are reminded that God is to be consulted with our decisions. When we ignore Him, we do so at our own peril. Practically, we can gain God’s counsel by praying, by consistently reading and studying the Bible, and by inviting other believers into our decision-making process. This is especially crucial for those of us running businesses or leading organizations. How often do you first consult with God before making a significant business decision? Do you bring others who are spiritually mature into the process to get their perspective, perhaps to sniff out any blindspots or areas of compromise you might be making? I know looking back that I wish I had brought others into the due diligence process of some financial investments I have made. I had legal advice, which was great, but not anyone questioning the timing or whether I had the right motives in making the investment, etc.
This study also reminds us of the dangers of the compounding effect of compromise. When we make small compromises here and there, before we realize it, these bad decisions compound and snowball into a reality that is difficult to overcome. A little lie here. A little fudging of numbers and reporting there. A little flirting with someone who isn’t our spouse here. A little stealing there. Then it compounds and grows. Then our hearts become hard toward God. Then our spiritual eyes and ears become dull. We become complacent, or even worse, completely cut off from God—going through life in our own strength and way.
Allow these reminders to be God’s merciful wake-up call to you.
Perhaps you need to reassess how you do business or who you partner with. There’s no neutrality here. Either you are following God’s way, the way of wisdom, or you are following your own. Ask God even now to reveal any areas of compromise in your life, no matter how small. Unlike the popular motto, we should in fact sweat the small stuff. Don’t allow it to go unchecked. Stop trying to cover it or simply manage it. Agree with God in terms of exactly what it is—wickedness. It’s not until we are honest with God, with ourselves, and with others, that we can experience true joy and flourishing.
[Written by Dr. Bobo Beck, the author of Wisdom Calling and host of The Wisdom Calling Podcast, where he helps Christian professionals think more critically and live more strategically, all from a wisdom-based perspective. This discussion is adapted from Volume 1/Devotional 22, Compound Effect of Compromise, which is part of the Wisdom Calling devotional series. For more information, visit www.wisdomcalling.org.]