http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex%2020:1-17&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2010:12-13&version=NIV1984
Yesterday I posted about boundaries. About the fact that they are everywhere. Most of the time boundaries exist in order to protect something. To keep people from being injured. To keep the environment from being damaged. To keep animals from either being harmed or harming people.
One has to be only vaguely familiar with the Bible to realize that it has a lot of boundaries. Perhaps the most famous ones are the 10 Commandments. For the most part they are boundaries on what people can and can’t do. Of course, throughout the rest of the Bible are scattered various boundaries as well. What activities the priests could and couldn’t do. What kinds of sacrifices the people could and couldn’t bring. What kind of behavior was allowed and what wasn’t. The Pharisees of Jesus' day took boundaries to heart. (At least most of them.) They even added quite a few of their own. Just for good measure. The result was that boundaries became a heavy burden to people. With so many boundaries sooner or later they were going to violate one. Or several.
As Christians, we have a choice in the way that we view God-given boundaries. If we view them in a negative light, that God has given them in order to take the fun out of our lives, how are we going to respond to them? We are either going to resent them or we are going to deliberately go beyond them. One or the other. We see this everyday. Christians who are very miserable because they want to cross the boundaries but feel guilty doing so. Or Christians who seem to have a callous disregard for boundaries. Pretty much anything goes for them. It is these kind of Christians that cause such a stumbling block to non-Christians.
The proper way to view God-given boundaries is in a positive light. God, in His infinite wisdom, has established boundaries for our protection. He does this out of love for us. He doesn’t want us or our loved ones to get hurt. When viewed this way, how are we going to respond to boundaries? We will respect them. We will willingly avoid crossing them. We will keep a safe distance from them. We will see them as beneficial. As something that is for our own good. And we will be thankful for them.
So, in the end, it is our view and approach to God’s boundaries that is important. We can view boundaries in a negative light, as a long list of do’s and don’ts that we have to obey. Or we can view boundaries in a positive light, as God’s loving warnings that keep us from harm. The choice is up to us. If only Adam & Eve had viewed God’s boundary in a positive light they would not have fallen into sin. Nor plunged the world into sin as well. In the same way, the manner in which you and I view God’s boundaries not only impacts us, it impacts others around us. What a responsibility. I, for one, want to take advantage of God’s wisdom. I don’t want to have to learn the hard way. I want to honor God by taking Him at His word. And staying well within the boundaries that He has set for me. It’s where I’m the safest.
Lord, I thank you for providing me with boundaries. I can’t say that I understand all of them. But I do know that You are a loving God. And You have provided these boundaries for my own well-being and protection. Help me to embrace Your boundaries. Because when I do, not only do I benefit, but You are glorified. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lord, I thank you for providing me with boundaries. I can’t say that I understand all of them. But I do know that You are a loving God. And You have provided these boundaries for my own well-being and protection. Help me to embrace Your boundaries. Because when I do, not only do I benefit, but You are glorified. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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