You've probably heard people say, “The church needs to get with modern times.”
Here are some discouraging statistics from the 1991 book "The Day America Told the Truth: What People Really Believe About Everything That Really Matters," by James Patterson and Peter Kim:
•Just 13 percent of the population believe in all the Ten Commandments.
•Nine out of 10 people lie regularly.
•Nearly 50 percent of married women and 60 percent of married men will have an extramarital affair.
•One-fifth of the nation’s children have lost their virginity by age 13.
•For $10 million, 7 percent of Americans would kill a stranger, 23 percent would become a prostitute, and 25 percent would abandon their family.
•Religion plays almost no role in shaping most lives.
•While 90 percent of people say they believe in God, just 20 percent have talked to a minister, priest or rabbi about a personal problem.
•Four in every five said they believe in an afterlife.
•Almost 50 percent believe they’re headed to heaven; 4 percent expect to spend time in hell.
These numbers are from 24 years ago, and I am sure matters have only gotten worse.
What we allow to influence our lives as individuals says a great deal about us. Some feel they are entitled to a certain lifestyle. Some believe no one has the right to tell them how to live their lives.Others believe living by Scriptures is the only way to live.
What many don’t realize is human beings need boundaries. There are reasons God set down commandments and expectations. People need to know what is acceptable behavior.
Otherwise, chaos reigns.
Some will claim they have a right to their own personal freedoms. But what happens when those personal freedoms step on another’s personal freedoms? Conflicts arise. And those conflicts can have dire consequences.
When we allow God to change us from the inside out, we develop a Christ-like character.
When we set our minds on the things of God first — no matter the pressing circumstances of life around us — we will develop the moral center to deal with each difficulty that arises.
The Spirit of God leads us away from the spirit of uncertainty — to a deeper understanding of our rightful place as children of God. The Spirit of God shows us how to live in harmony with others, even when we have to agree to disagree.
For life to have true meaning, there need to be boundaries. It cannot be “anything goes.” God’s expectations are the best ever. Live within them and find out for yourself.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview's pastor.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: Boundaries set standards for behavior, deflect chaos