DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND

I have heard noted apologist, author, and speaker Dr. Ravi Zacharias say that you can tell a lot about a culture by the music it listens to.  I believe that there is a lot of truth in this, music is a reflection of culture and the soul of what a society truly believes.  When I was younger, Aaron Tippin sang a song that defines this point to me perfectly with an issue our immediate family is facing.  The song is simply titled “You’ve Got to Stand for Something” and is a reflection of something that I firmly believe in. 

The idea of drawing a line in the sand or taking a stand is not something new. It is an idea that has been impacting and changing societies and culture throughout history.  There comes a time in every person’s life when they must choose what they want to stand for.  This is a highly personal decision, but it also has the potential to impact lives for generations to come.  Knowing this, it is important to investigate and make a stand on things that matter.  This is not an easy task, and it can be hard to do especially when the very people who should respond in love and kindness choose to hurt and betray.  In spite of this response, once the line is drawn, it should not be crossed.

Our lives have reached the point where a line has to be drawn in the sand and it has to be pronounced and adhered to.  Our children are watching us in this situation.  They are watching how we respond to comments, listening to us explain our thoughts about the issue, and more importantly watching those around us as we take this stand.  Our line has been drawn, and we will not be crossing it.

So where do we draw the line on some key issues?  There are some simple things that we do not tolerate and there are profound things we don’t tolerate.  We don’t tolerate lying.  We don’t tolerate disrespect.  We don’t tolerate abuse be it physical or verbal.  We don’t tolerate drunkenness, drug abuse, or addictive behaviors.  We don’t tolerate adultery.  We have drawn our lines in the sand and we have decided to stand firm against these issues.  We will not back down, be unkind or unloving to those battling issues, but we won’t tolerate blatant flaunting and disrespect for who we are and what we believe either. 

You’ve got to stand for something or you will indeed fall for anything.  Drawing a line in the sand, taking a stand and sticking with something is not always easy.  Following your personal convictions and teaching them to your children so that they can impact generations is not an easy task.  But standing firm is always worth it, always, even when it is hard.