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Key Bible Verse: "No one can serve two masters. … You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24). Bonus Reading: Galatians 2:11–14

As the tour boat approached Fort Sumter, I wondered whether the guides would be dressed in blue or in gray. Sumter had been a Union fort in Confederate territory when the Civil War began. It had changed hands several times.

Henry Kissinger must have decided the colors. We were greeted at a gate by a "soldier" wearing a blue coat and gray pants! This uniform wouldn't have worked very well back in 1861. It would have gotten its wearer shot on both ends!

It's not a good idea for a follower of Christ to send double signals to his world either. Compromise increases stress over the long haul. The deception, the half-heartedness tears us apart. When people aren't sure of our stand, they keep pushing. If we sometimes "lie for the company" and others not, the boss will continue to press.

But if we consistently stick to the truth, the pressure will let up after initial tests. Our reputations eventually protect us from the constant pressure to go to the wrong places, laugh at the wrong things, or pass on the gossip. When you wear one uniform proudly, you only draw fire from one side.

—Ron Hutchcraft in Living Peacefully in a Stressful World

My Response: I should take a clearer stand in the area of …

Thought to Apply: Look to make your course regular, that men may know beforehand what they may expect. —Francis Bacon (British philosopher, statesman, 16th century)

Adapted from Living Peacefully in a Stressful World (Discovery, 1985, 2000) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, I'm ready to do what it takes to become a reliable disciple You can regularly use.

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