BOUNDARIES

 

Proverbs 23:2    And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

The word boundary comes from the root word border which means the official line that divides one area of land from another. Limit is also a word that describes boundary which is the point at which something ends or beyond which it becomes something else.

Boundaries in our lives should never be based solely upon the fear of negative consequences. Boundaries should be rooted and established out of the Love of God. They should flow from a genuine motivation of selflessness. I refuse to do that because I don’t want to sin against God. I don’t want the plans and purposes of God to become shipwrecked in my life so I discipline my body and keep it under the authority of God’s word. For love sake, I forgive you.

Joseph the son of Jacob, was a perfect example of someone who maintained restraint in his life even when faced with overwhelming temptation from Potiphar’s wife. Genesis 39:9 reveals to us how Joseph spoke out of the abundance of his heart, a heart that had been trained and disciplined through much practice, no doubt, to use restraint. 

        “… how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

        “ And it came to pass, as she spake  to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.”

We know this outward display of self-control was not formulated overnight. I believe this was just a small window of knowledge opened to us, demonstrating a life-style that Joseph chose to live every day. When faced with such a great temptation it would be very rare or unlikely for a person who has no consistent boundaries or self-control operating in their lives to just up and take a stand like Joseph.

As Christian’s we must always remember that the word of God is our standard, not our feelings or unbridled emotions. A standard can be defined as a principle or value that governs a person’s behavior.

The world is not our standard. We are not to set our boundaries based on what the world says or does.

May the Word of God be a fence all around you everyday, providing the boundaries you need to follow through on what Jesus has instructed us to do.