If you have a pet, you know the potential threat of fleas. No matter how cute and adorable a stray dog or cat is, when they are flea infested, they bring those fleas into your home. Once the fleas are in your home, it is a major endeavor getting rid of them and healing the damage they often bring in their aftermath. You may even be into rescuing strays, which is a good thing, yet when they are flea infested, you have to take special precautions. The flea problems need to be addressed BEFORE you allow them into your home. They may be cute, they may be persistent in their barking or meowing, yet until the flea problem is addressed, they pose a significant danger.
In a similar manner, friends, associates and acquaintances, may be infested with affair condoning values which pose a threat to your family. On the surface they may be cute or adorable, yet the danger they carry with them is more destructive than fleas. In the name of equality or being hip, being cool or some other new term for peer pressure, you may be coerced into letting them into your home or life. Although you can see the fleas, you may not see the danger of affair condoning values until your marriage and family are damaged beyond repair. One of the problems with attitudes and values is that you do not often see the danger. What you see are the effects of those values and attitudes. You may have been raised to “love everybody” and “treat everyone as equals” since that is what you were told in Sunday School that God expects. On a closer read, the Bible warns of people with dangerous attitudes and values. There are clear instructions that you are to avoid certain people, even those you view as ‘good’ when their values pose a threat. There are clear instructions to be on guard against such types and to avoid them. You may say, but that is ‘exclusionary’ or ‘not fair’. It is. When it comes to protecting your family and marriage, you do have to take stands, which means that you have to exclude some people from your home and avoid associating with them in social settings.
If you instead choose to welcome everyone with open arms, you need to get ready for fleas, and the damage they will bring. You need to get ready to risk ‘loosing it all’, just so that you can say that you welcomed everyone, including the threats. Fleas are always easier to deal with before they infest your home. In a similar manner dangerous values and attitudes are easier to deal with before they enter your home and hearts. Once they obtain a foothold, you have have your hands full.
So what are some of these modern fleas? When someone sees nothing wrong with affairs, it should concern you. When someone makes passes at your spouse, you have a problem. The problem is made worse if they do it in front of you. Couples who want you to join their ‘lifestyle’ of swinging is definitely a threat. When people put you in compromising situations where they intentionally force you to go against your values, there is a threat. When people attack you for being judgmental or old fashioned because you take stands against affairs, they are a threat. This list only scratches the surface. There are many other threats and potentially dangerous attitudes/values. This list will begin alerting you to what you need to be on guard against.
Best Regards,
Jeff Murrah
