The Duggars wear dresses below their knees. They don't watch television. They wait to kiss until their wedding day. They believe in allowing God to decide how many children they should have. The females all wear their hair long. They don't go to public beaches or pools and wear extremely modest bathing suits. The Pearls hold to many of these convictions, also.
We spent a week with the Pearls years ago and Michael told us he never goes to beaches or the malls. He takes the command to flee sexual immorality very literally. Is he legalistic for doing this? Are both the Duggars and Pearls legalistic because they have such stricter boundaries than most of us do?
Some people believe it is wrong to drink alcohol. Some women believe in covering their heads. Are all these convictions legalistic? They only become legalistic if you call others a sin who do these things or don't do the things the Duggars and Pearls do.
Being legalistic is making up your own rules and believing those who don't follow your rules are in sin. The Duggars and Pearls simply have made boundaries in their lives in order to obey God. "For the grace of God...has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness and worldly desires, to live discreet, upright, devout lives in this present world."{Titus 2:11,12} They are doing everything they can in order to be pleasing to the Lord.
One thing I have noticed about the Duggars and the Pearls is the consistent smile on their faces and the joy in their lives. Placing boundaries in our life that protect us from evil are always a good thing. These boundaries actually bring joy into our lives instead of sorrow IF they are not legalistic and you are doing this in order to please the Lord, not sit in judgment of others who do not do them and aren't convicted in the same way you are.
Both of these families are busy ministering to people in their community and in missions programs. They are a light in a dark, dark world. Their mission statement in life is to love God and to love others. After they have been on programs like Good Morning America, I have heard statements from the ones interviewing them, "They have better control over their nineteen children than most couples have over their two!"
Ken and I don't have many of the convictions the Duggars and Pearls have made. I admire both of them deeply for their convictions and love for Jesus, however. Just because we don't hold to all their convictions doesn't mean we think we are better than them in any way or that they are better than us. I believe we all need to respect other's convictions and support them. We are called to love each other and not have divisions among us. This is pleasing in the sight of God.
