Why Such A Fuss Over Standards!!

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Falla39

There is SO much more to "standards" than just what we wear. There is honesty and
integrity, principals, how we treat and respect people. Standards involve every area
of our lives. There are moral standards, standards of the heart, etc.

We need the Spirit of the Living God to lead and guide us continually. IF we look to man
for our direction, we will get man's ideas. If we look to the Word of God and
depend on His Spirit and walk in, and are led by the Spirit of Almighty God,
we won't have to find out too soon, too late that we have been deceived.
If we know what thus saith the Word of God, and have the Holy Spirit to
illuminate and open our understanding we won't be disappointed. We were
pointed to the Word of God all our lives. The Word of God was promoted big
time in our home and the church our late parents pastored.

My husband and I will celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniv. on July 11th. We
both received the Holy Ghost the summer of 1958. Dad opened the doors of
the storefront church he, with his wife and eleven children, founded, Nov.12,
1958, We married the following July 11th, 1959. We have never left. Five of
our six children and 16 of our 20 grandchildren still go to the church my late
parents founded. The other son and wife, with their four children, go to an
apostolic church in a neighboring city where they live. All of our adult children
are married to their original spouses. The youngest has been married 12 yrs.,
the eldest has been married 27 yrs. and all in between. Our middle daughter
and husband who pastor the church now, was married 18 yrs. ago yesterday.

God has been good to our family. Those good family values and all that goes
with it, has surely paid off with huge dividends.

No, our lives have not all been easy. We have had our trials and stuggles,
but God has been with us, by His Spirit from the beginning until now and we
have no doubt that HE will be with us all the way! He said HE would be our
guide, even until death. Psalms 48:15

Just giving God some Praise for all HE has done, doing and will continue to do,
in Jesus Name!

Blessings,

Falla39

Falla,

My dear sister, you are absolutely right, it is and was those "standards of the heart" that build strength into our family. Mom and Daddy required these standards of their children, honesty and respect of those around us. I remember one of us sassing a neighbor, and Dad requiring a face to face apology to that neighbor. These things of character are honorable and make us respected by our community, and by the grace of God I see them in my own adult children.

As for balance, I will also acknowledge that there were some "standards" that were passed from the preacher that brought the "message" to our parents community that our parents eventually discarded. I know some folks that continued with those extreme "standards" that have wrecked lives because of the control and lack of freedom in Christ. Our parents found more balance but still maintained some fairly conservative standards, but not nearly as rigid as their first exposure to Pentecost. I believe those earlier extremes were false standards and discarding them in no way devalued our parents lives.

I also know of many who maintain even the less rigid standards, yet lack the "things of the heart" and their lives are just as wrecked.

My point is: It is those things of the heart that made the difference in our family, so I have to believe it is those standards to which you are referring. And from that perspective I totally embrace and agree with all that you have presented.