Compromise is an interesting work; it can be positive or negative. In the positive vein, it can mean two sides coming together and mutually giving ground in order to meet somewhere in the middle. In the negative, it can mean relinquishing some valuable part of who you are, like your principles or values, and ceding that to someone else. A compromise can also be called a concession, where you give up something in order to reach an accommodation, where you give up something in order to reach an accommodation with something or someone you're in conflict with. To reach a compromise or to make a concession requires one or both sides to give up some amount of power and control. The necessity of having to compromise or concede indicates some sort of conflict. Without conflict, where is the need to compromise? Without conflict, why concede?
Previously, I talked about the role technology plays in the transfer of power from one generation to another, especially where parents and kids are concerned. Now I'd like to focus on the transfer of power that takes place when we bind our identities too tightly to this technology. Technology should assist us in communicating who we are, not distort or overshadow who we are. We should be in charge of the technology we use and not find ourselves compromising or conceding our values and principles - our "ground."
When we are at peace with who we are, we immunize ourselves from the power of technology to reshape and overtake our lives. The difficulty with technology is that it is powerful enough to create and exacerbate internal conflicts. These internal conflicts can then cause us to begin to compromise what we know to be true and who we are. Then it tempts us to concede to the negative sides of our personalities and the raucous clamor of the world and its values. As Christians, these compromises and concessions cause us to give ground to culture in ways that do not honor God or allow us any peace.
The above is excerpted from #Hooked: The Pitfalls of Media, Technology and Social Networking by Dr. Gregory Jantz.
