As a boy, I remember my parents challenging my behahavior or speech from time to time.  Sometimes I tried to defend myself with the old standard:  everybody else is doing it.

Mom and Dad always came back the same:  "In our house, we don't act that way."

It's an aggravating response.  First of all, it was patently untrue.  I had disproved their little theory with my owwn behavior.  Of course we act like that in this house.  I just did.  That's hat we were talking about.  Remember?

The essence of the "house rules" argument, though, was simple.  My parents had a higher expectation of their family members than they did of others.  This seemed unfair to me as a child.

At the same time, it elicits a certain form of pride.  It's special to know that somebody somewhere loves you and respects you enough to believe that you are capable of more than the world at large.

Psalm 15 strikes me as God's house rules, a statement of God's love and rspect for thoes who have become apart of his family.  Do we always meet these high standards.  Of course not.

But should they always be before us as expectations?  Yes.  They should.