When to leave a situation you keep failing in instead of fighting through it
- Is it ever right to leave a situation you keep sinning in rather than fighting through it?
- Is resisting temptation more holy than avoiding it?
A host lays out a years-long struggle: he keeps sinning in the same way at work, reacting with pride to people with authority, and asks whether at some point the godly move is to change the situation rather than keep failing in it, like an alcoholic staying out of a bar. The hosts work through it: some people can minister at the porn convention and some cannot; resisting temptation is not necessarily more holy than avoiding it; Paul and Barnabas splitting over Mark shows Scripture has room for parting ways; and prayer does not replace practical plans like writing 'shut up' on your forearm. They weigh it against 'wherever you go, there you are' and the different math of positions versus responsibilities, landing on a $120,000-vs-$50,000 thought experiment about what work actually costs your family.
More on Boundaries
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Dear LFTP: the mother-in-law moved in
- My mother-in-law moved in seven months ago and it’s been difficult — how can we sort this out?
The last letter comes from a wife whose mother-in-law moved in seven months ago with no boundaries, rising bills, unpaid prescriptions, and open disrespect.
From No. 604 · Rearview Mirror
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Dear LFTP: Ralph calls three or four times a week
- How can I get my retired friend Ralph to call less frequently without being rude?
The letter: 'Ralph,' a longtime best friend, retired and is bored, so he calls three or four times a week 'even when there's nothing new to talk about,' rehashing the same things; subtle hints haven't worked; letting it go to voicemail just earns a callback request.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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Dear LFTP: the senior-living handshake letter, and the close
- How can a senior-living resident politely decline the dining-room manager's handshakes?
Mike reads the second Dear LFTP letter: a senior-living resident whose dining-room manager (Manny) shakes hands at residents' tables, and who dodges with wet or greasy hands — how to decline politely?
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Dear LFTP: the fiance who games until 5AM
- What should the letter-writer do about her fiance's all-night gaming habit?
Mike reads a Dear LFTP letter from a woman engaged five years to Dustin, who games from 10PM to 5AM, skips chores, and gives her no attention; talking has not helped since 'he grew up gaming.'
From No. 598 · Emphasis | Accountability, Worship and Praying with Strangers