Reasonable Service - Convictions

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Convictions

So I am entering the realm of potential controversy...haha. To preface all my remarks, let me say that I have changed quite a bit over the past several years, not so much in my own personal behavior and reasons for as much as in how well I tolerate it when others do not agree or refuse to discuss it. I might also say that some of what I do is a lot more strict than what I feel "convicted" is inherently right. The Bible does teach that we have liberty in Christ--liberty to do certain things as well as liberty not to do what might stumble others who are in the Body of Christ.

I do think that love should compel us, at times, to limit our freedom for the sakes of our brothers. Let us not flaunt our liberty! At the same time, we should not feel that legalism or strict adherence to any "code" (especially those not Scripturally defined) makes us any holier than we are through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we see someone who is living in blatant sin, our response should not be to dwell on how well we are living in comparison to them...that is, how well our efforts have served us in avoiding such conduct...because "there go I but for the grace of God." Only God could redeem us, justify us, sanctify us. Only through God are we holy.

All that said, I am a picky girl when it comes to behavior and personal preferences. I also do have some very strong convictions; however, many of the applications are not themselves convictions. For instance, I do not believe that one must home educate to fulfill God's desire that parents raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; however, I intend to be prepared to instruct my own children, should the Lord bless me with any, and my most significant reason is that God gives parents such a great deal of responsibility in the lives of their children. Now that I have prefaced all that, I hope you will understand what I have to say about my convictions.

At the moment, the majority of my convictions are defined in terms of their relationship to romantic behavior and the process leading up to marriage. My perspective is constantly changing, so the following do not necessarily present an accurate picture of the views that I now hold. To be honest, I really am not quite sure what I think about dating, courtship, and betrothal. My heart's desire is to please the Lord in all that I do, but how that might actually work is a mystery to me at the moment.

My parents probably have slightly differing views on the subject, so that is another area I need to consider if I am able to write what I think now. For now, I will just say that my mom is probably stricter and desires for anyone interested in me to contact my dad first . My dad says not to put God in a box. And I say, "Let's just be friends !" I am sure that my summary here is very helpful to you. The Word document below is rather long and disjointed, but it covers a period of several years in my life, starting with some of the very first things I wrote about "courtship."