Appropriate or Not

Who determines what is appropriate? I'm not talking about what's good verses what is evil-- what is lawful or what is not .... appropriate is a gray line. There are no absolutes here.

For instance, are public displays of affection appropriate? If so, are there times when they are not appropriate? Is it the location that determines the difference ... or the level of affection displayed? or perhaps it is determined by who is involved in the displaying. Is it a matter of whether it's appropriate to "the public" who see the display? This is just a random example.

I started pondering this question as I reflected on recent questions my adult children had asked me. I was asked if ____ (some event or circumstance) was alright with me. Hmmm ... first of all, I wonder why they are asking me if that particular thing is alright. Does that mean that they thought it may NOT be (not be appropriate) to me?

How did I come to the conclusions that I DO have about what is appropriate and what is not? Again, I'm speaking about gray areas that are not specifically spelled out in Scripture. Those that are taught about, I hold as my beliefs ... but those "gray areas" ...

It's funny how many times I would tell my husband that something he was doing was not appropriate, when we were newlyweds. It's a standing joke between us now. I can even laugh about some of them ... but there are still SOME that we differ in opinion about. What may be inappropriate to (or for) me, is appropriate to (or for) him.