Integrity rarely collapses overnight.

It erodes one compromise at a time, one rationalization after another,

one small disobedience that seems harmless in the moment.

For example, the downfall of King Saul wasn't sudden.

It was gradual.

Each decision to prioritize his image over obedience,

each moment he chose comfort over conviction,

moved him further from God's purpose.

And today, on Insight for Living,

Chuck Swindall examines how erosion destroys lives and ministries,

and he exposes the warning signs that could save your life and mine.

Chuck titled his message, Saul, the King who refused to bow.

The Bible includes stories of all different kinds of people, those who are on the racetrack,

accomplishing very little but moving fast, those who are meteoric in style, and they are off

and running only to fizzle out before they've hardly reached middle age.

And then there are through the scriptures those deep, quiet rivers, lives that continue to

minister to others selflessly as they help others reach their destinations. But I am intrigued

with how many times I come to the

scriptures and find a life that is like a rooftop. A life that begins well but ends poorly.

Such a life was Saul, the king who refused to bow. What an interesting, interesting study. He teaches me,

if nothing else, that life cannot be determined until it has run its full course. We who are so

quick to give opinions about certain individuals and seldom willing to wait until the final tally is told can learn a lesson from this.

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