Standards....where do they come from?

As a home sharer, I have been thinking about the standards we employ throughout our lives. We all have standards, like a standard to never smoke, or always write thank you notes, or always drive the speed limit, or never shop at Walmart,...etc. Take a minute, you will be able to identify some that you have. We all have them. Some of them are standards because they are imposed on us, like rules...thus we drive the speed limit. Some we acquire because it is what we inherited from parents or other role models. Some are wise standards for good reasons, like don't smoke since it is bad for your health. Some standards are put forth from God in His Word, those we should all follow...He knows what He is doing after all! As we look at the specific standards we have, we will find some that are just pure whims of our own creation. It is these standards that sometimes we have to remember not to impose on others. So I am learning to say, "It's okay, it is just my standard, and I shouldn't feel the need to impose my standard on anyone else." So the next time something rankles you, do a little assessment. Consider the reason for the standard; safety, sound reason, inherited habit, spoken to us by God or just because that's the way you like it. Remember others have their own standards, too. So as we home share we can learn how to compromise those standards, that I would call 'just cause I like it that way' standards, a bit to make the home shared a happy home.