What do you see – a boundary or blessing? A boundary or beauty? A boundary or protection for our baby? A boundary or safe place to enjoy free from harm and alarm? A boundary or opportunity?
The Bible teaches us to guard (check, pay close attention to) the boundaries of our hearts for out of our hearts flow the issues that pertain to life (or otherwise)! What boundaries do you have in place? Healthy boundaries help us to guard our hearts and prevent us from getting hurt! Maybe that closed door, relationship that left your life, disappointment was really an appointment to set you up for something better and protect you from settling for less than heaven’s best!
Life without boundaries is life in the danger zone, leading to death and destruction! I am so thankful for the Godly boundaries in my life! “Surely the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, I have a ‘goodly’ & Godly inheritance!” Kingdom living – life as God intended us to live is found within the boundary lines of accepting His love, blood, grace, word, and obedience to His ways that are higher than ours!
There are boundaries to safeguard your marriage, children, family, relationships, finances, direction – all so you can live the best life, now! We can accept or reject them, but don’t point your finger up to God and blame Him if you choose to live outside of them! I’ve proved the saying “Know Jesus, know peace” vs “No Jesus, No peace”! I’ve further proven that if you follow the guidelines that create healthy boundary lines found in God’s word, you will live in the land of plenty or follow your own path and live in the land of empty!
Today I read in the news of yet another life taken tragically, cut of early, through suicide. I’m a mother of five. This guy had everything this world could buy, moved amongst the rich and famous, no doubt dabbled in and tried everything he could, but none of it satisfied. Known as Zombie Boy due to his tattoos from head to toe, he had featured in Lady Gaga’s music video, “Born this way!” I can hear God’s heart calling “you were born for more”! Lady Gaga tweeted a moving message concluding with “We must save each other”! My heart cried in reply, “We can’t! The truth is we all need a saviour! For all the hardship, brokenness, pain, suffering, mental illness and evil in this world WE NEED JESUS!”
I tossed and turned in my bed last night, crying to God after a friend messaged me from home for prayer. Her husband’s brother had lost his life to a drug overdose. Another too young, too tragic and too wrong! How I long for the world to know Jesus and the fullness He has to give, within the boundaries of relationship and not religion, He is the only one through which we can truly live. If this is all I give to my children, Jesus, then I will have done everything right, for it is a truth of far greater worth than anything else in this life!
How we need to embrace our loving heavenly Father’s boundaries for our lives – health and wholeness, peace and joy, together with faith-filled fun and adventure are there! In fact, when we were choosing villas in the South of France, it was bizarrely the boundary around the pool that made this our villa of choice above hundreds of others! If you are wise you will love and enjoy living in the freedom of God’s boundaries for your life!
Jesus is described as ‘the door’ and ‘the gate’ – hold His hand, trust His plans and you will live life free, come and go confidently (not fearfully) and safely! You see, I wouldn’t send my 18 month old baby out of the boundary surrounding the pool without me! What loving parent would? Your Heavenly Father never intended you to go out alone, to face life alone – don’t go out without him but make him your boundary everywhere you go! Ultimately, you’re life will know no boundaries; only blessings, goodness, miracles, favour and overflow. Your life is limitless with Jesus and within the boundary of His best for you!
MY PRAYER TODAY
Father God, when you say go, I’ll go, when you say stay, I’ll stay, may your presence be my protection and continual boundary around my family, friends and my life today and always! I choose you, I choose to live according to your word, I choose your ways above this world’s and my own! When I look at the boundaries you’ve given me I don’t see restrictions; only love, protection, perfection and outstanding beauty! In Jesus name. Amen!