Today I had a conversation with a trusted counselor about boundaries. During these conversations I see more and more that I have few boundaries in my life. Lack of boundaries results in feeling powerless, abused, taken advantage of and depressed. Try as hard as I may to "serve" others, I still become angry. Having few boundaries causes me to take responsibility for things that I am totally not responsible for.
So with that said and knowing I need to explore this issue, I searched to see the boundaries God sets for himself. My first stop in the scripture was in John 6. The scene is on a mountain where some five thousand men are fed with five small barley loaves and two small fish. Upon experiencing this miracle, the people began to recognize Jesus as a prophet. Jesus recognized that they intended to make him king by force. With this realization He withdraws to the mountain by himself.
The temptation must have been pretty high. After all, to have people recognize his abilities and desire him to be their king would be a pretty heady trip. Knowing their plans for him would distract him from his real purpose set forth by God. Instead he chose to leave the people refusing their desires. He set a boundary...he said no.
So boundary number one for me is to ask the question "Will this distract me from what God wants for me?"
What distracts you from the goodness that God has in store for you? So many times we live out the plans others want instead of what we know God wants. We succomb to the pressure of yes to others in order to gain their approval. The only thing we have gained is their power to control us...not their approval.
Of course there is a huge difference in serving out of a true desire to love others and motivated to do what others want in order to gain approval. We must keep in contact with our interior life in order to recognize what is truly motivating us. Then it takes courage to carry out the truth by saying no or yes, whatever the case may be.
Walk couragously, following Him.
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