Words out of Fashion – Standards

Greetings Dear Reader,

It seems that everywhere there used to be clear lines of right and wrong our culture has chosen to blur those lines.  One of my favorite books is The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett.  I remember my Grandfather coaching me on having standards for right and wrong.

I am never going to try to tell someone what his or her standards should be but I do believe that as a society lowers its standards the society erodes.  There are injustices in our culture.  There are people in need in our society.  I think that the first place standards need to be addressed is by Christ followers.

We are responsible for the needs of others, full stop.  We spend more effort on the television, the boat, or the golf swing than we do on the poor and homeless.  We allow those who do not follow Christ to dictate what we consume.

Everything about what we do has to have standards that align with Christ.  I must assure that my beliefs on social issues conform to who Christ is and what he asks me to be as his follower.

A dear friend reminded me of the word sacred yesterday.  This word refers to things that are set apart to God.  It evokes the holy, hallowed, and consecrated in our lives.  We need to have standards that are sacred.  I need to assure that my values and virtues align with Christ no matter what popular thought tells me to think.

It is a lie that I have to agree with you to love you.  It is a violation of the basic standards of following Christ that we have to be tolerant of everything.  I have to have clear standards for my faith and following without using them to hammer on others.  My standards must set me apart in a way that draws others to Christ.

My standards must not be an offensive weapon.  I cannot expect those who do not share my faith to do as I do.  I cannot expect those who do follow Christ to be the same as me.  The standards must be mine as a tool to live the life of a Christ follower in a way that is consistent and faithful.  That is enough to manage without demanding it of others.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."