Why You Should Go Against the Flow

Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled ; for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous.

─ Hebrews 13:4 AMPC

Why You Should Go Against the Flow

With each decade it seems society becomes more and more accepting of the world and its ways. Whether you were a teen in the late1960s or the early 2000s, there’s really no way you would have imagined the radical changes our society has embraced over the past 20, 30 or even 50 years.

Back in the late 1960s, with the advent of the Hippie movement, marriage between a man and a woman was still generally seen as the gold standard of relationships. Young couples were encouraged not to cohabitate and were told that difficult consequences could result if they did.

What a difference we see today. Same-sex marriage continues to gain acceptance, while cohabitation among young couples has been almost welcomed, even encouraged, for quite some time. Even in Christian homes, the lines are blurred if not completely gone. Not only have social norms made it easier for our children to “go with the flow,” our parenting choices have also contributed.

But it’s those who go against the flow and choose to live their lives by the gold standard of Scripture that not only stand out in the crowd but end up better positioned for success in their adult lives.

Hebrews 13:4 provides nuggets of that gold standard, among them verse 4. “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (NIV). Yes, that’s direct, but the best advice for life always is. To help your kids experience God’s best and go against the flow of today’s culture:

• Pray for purity – that they will immerse themselves in God’s Word and live it.
• Speak the truth – advise, don’t nag and love them anyway, even when they make bad decisions.
• Be available – for there will come a time when they will need someone to be there for them and demonstrate what it means to be a Christian. That can be your role as mom and dad.

Today’s One Thing

Choose one of the three bullet points above and talk to God about it. Then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you as you help your child recognize God’s best for their lives.

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