Tucked away in 1 Kings 13 is a story you don’t want to miss. It’s about a man of God who warned Jeroboam, the first ungodly king of Israel. After warning the king, the Lord gave the man of God specific instructions–don’t go back where I sent you, and don’t eat or drink with anyone from that place.

The man of God obeyed…until a prophet came along. The prophet told the man an angel instructed him to bring him back to his house. The man of God went with the prophet, and disobeyed God. He was killed by a lion because of his disobedience.

A harsh story, but it gets your attention.

When the Lord tells you something, you need to obey Him. You need to know His word to discern what others may speak in contrast. It’s that simple.

If this were you, would you have gone back with the really-good-sounding-Christian, or would you have stood firm in what the Lord told you to do?

Do you find yourself in dilemmas like this today?

I do. It seems almost daily when I’m among the world outside my home.

All you have to do is open your eyes and read your social media feed to be bombarded with hundred of messages about what’s right, what’s wrong, who God is today, what He says about morality, and how it changes. If you have kids, simply being part of their world opens your eyes to more modern versions of what’s right.

And compromise feels necessary.

Are you compelled to compromise what God has told you about who He is, how you should live, or what’s morally right for your kids? Has the lure of more open-minded beliefs within the church caused you to doubt the word of God?

Do you second-guess yourself about who God is, and what He’s really told you?

This passage assures me that God really is who He says He is. He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). His word and character don’t either.

I’ll be honest–being in different peer groups recently has challenged me in parenting principles I’ve practiced for years. Then, I’m drawn back to scripture and reminded that kids haven’t changed, it’s the mess of things around them which has increased.

Being culturally relevant as a parent of teens doesn’t mean I change what God has established to protect them.

It means I understand more what their world is like, and help them  apply God’s word in context.

You and I have to know God’s word for ourselves. We have to know what He’s telling us for our lives and that of our family. Ungodly wisdom sounds good, just like the story above. The man was a prophet, and he said an angel gave him a message.

That sounds so right!

We’re living in a culture where morality, biblical literacy, and Christianity is declining and eroding. I don’t see it getting better. It’s essential all believers are in God’s word first above all other things.

It’s the only way to know His voice above any other.

I the Lord do not change. Malachi 3:6.

It’s that simple.

Church doctrine may change. Christian beliefs may be more culturally relevant. Parenting values may soften. And social media may be more exciting than the Bible.

In the end, God instructs us for our protection and His glory.

He doesn’t change.

Where have you been struggling in compromise? What cultural or Christian beliefs challenge you? Does peer pressure pull you to God or away from God? I’d love to hear from you. You’re not alone.