I Mean It!

          Jesus condemned the dogmatic legalism of the Pharisees (Luke 11:42); Paul similarly condemned using personal convictions as a standard of judgment for others.  God hates self-righteousness.  While legalism is wrong, adhering to a personal and narrow path is wise; too broad a path in the name of freedom in Christ is tempting, but self-serving and will not get a pass from God.

Galatians 5:13
You, brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature....

          Watching my teenage grandchildren trying to live according to God's standards in the face of the intense peer pressure of adolesence keeps me on my knees.  It is often hard to discern how to appropriately state your convictions without being self-righteous (although there is no avoiding being accused of that).  My teen years were simpler and more innocent, but age doesn't obliterate the problem.
          I was in my late 30's when I first entered the work world, but there were many ways in which I was very naive.  I was receptionist, librarian and bookkeeper in a small company.  The man who was our insurance agent came in almost everyday.  The relationships in the office were strongly established before I arrived on the scene and I was regarded by most as little more than a piece of furniture.
          The insurance man began flirting with me egregiously.  At first, I just pleasantly assured him I had no interest in joining into his inappropriate banter, but I expected my bosses to come to my rescue.  Instead, they were simply amused.  This was before sexual harrassment was a legal issue.  I would go home at night feeling guilty that I had been unable to put this man in his place and end his advances.  But I couldn't figure out how to balance patience, and respect with conviction.  I knew how to put someone in their place, but it was with a harshness I'd tried to repent of.
          It was legalism that won the day for me.  I was reading through Ehpesians and I came across these verses:

Ehpesians 5:3-4
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place , but rather thanksgiving.

          "...but rather thanksgiving."  I'd never considered thanksgiving an antidote to crudeness, but I decided--no, I commited legalistically--to try this tactic.  So, on every future occasion when the insurance man visited our office and began his suggestive lines, I responded with things like:  "Have I ever told you how grateful I am for my husband?"  And then I would go into detail about some wonderful qualitiy in Ron.  Or I would say, "Let me show you some pictures of my kids.  I am so grateful for them,"  And then I would tell him all the reasons I was proud of each of my children.
          It took about a month, but it worked!  He started coming in and asking how my family was.  Maybe I had just begun to look foolish to him and it was a turn off, but my job became much more enjoyable and I never had to get snotty to accomplish it.
          I'm not suggesting that this is a perfect formula for dealing with unwanted flirtation.  I'm saying that God blesses every effort we make to put his word into practice--even if we make fools of ourselves in the process.  (I Corinthians 3:18)
          This was probably not the first time I had looked for a scripture to disentangle me from a puzzling situation, but it stood out for me in a way that made it become my go-to strategy.  Whatever problem surfaces, I find a scripture and commit to it faithfully (legalistically) and God always comes through--often in the most unexpected ways!