God has established boundaries in creation. When He created the seas and oceans, He set a boundary for them.
6) You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains.
9) You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth. Psalm 104:6,9
Understanding boundaries can make our lives more peaceful and free of unnecessary chaos and issues.
National Boundaries
Nations have boundaries which delineate where their responsibilities and authority begin and end. Having borders establishes national sovereignty and security. What one country allows may be outlawed in another country.
Healthy boundaries are one of the best things we can establish, and the Word of God gives us the guidelines to achieving this.
Financial Stewardship and Discretion
Another area requiring boundaries is finance. Free spending, and carelessness with finances will cause much grief and pain for us and our loved ones. Whether we have a shopping addiction or craving for living lavish lifestyles we cannot afford we will end up in bondage to creditors and insurmountable debt.
Buying expensive cars, boats, RV’s, Motorcycles, gadgets, and Toys to impress our friends or feel good about ourselves is the sure way of being underwater financially.
The person pursuing these things may complain about their lack of money, their need for better wages, or a new job with an increased salary, but they are the problem. What‘s needed is restraint, discipline, and godly contentment (1Timothy 6:6-10) which will demand repentance from covetousness and greed (1 Corinthians 5:10-11, 6:10, Ephesians 5:5).
Those who refuse to judge themselves in this area will suffer the consequences of a life filled with stress, care, poverty, and lack.
He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. Proverbs 21:17
Boundaries on Natural Resource Consumption
Recently, my wife and I discussed saving on our energy bill by simply limiting the time we spent showering each day. We concluded this would lower our monthly utility costs significantly.
Instead of a 10 or 15-minute shower, we decided to aim for 3 minutes max to lower our water and energy consumption. Even reducing our daily usage by two gallons per person results in saving more than one hundred and twenty gallons of water each month (that’s 1400 gallons per year) and lowers the amount of energy required to heat it. By establishing this one boundary we've made a beneficial impact on our overall utility usage and budget.
Eating and Drinking
The Bible gives us much liberty in what we eat or drink (Romans 14). It does condemn gluttony and drunkenness. Individuals who lack boundaries in eating and drinking will suffer consequences for violating these principles.
1) When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; 2) And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. 3) Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food. Proverbs 23:1-3
Danny Set Boundaries
Several years ago, while working at another ministry, there was a co-worker named Danny who was extremely obese (weighing well over three hundred pounds). One of his jobs was to take the inner office mail to each department. I would often see him panting from walking the building and climbing the stairs to the second floor to my office.
Realizing he was out of control, Danny decided to stop drinking soft drinks and eating the junk food he consumed profusely. He began buying produce from the local health food store and eating healthily. He also exercised regularly. Within one year, he had lost over 120 pounds and looked like a different person. This all came about because he set boundaries on his diet and exercise.
Setting healthy boundaries will not only save money, but also add greater peace and stability in our lives.
So, what do we do if we have missed it in these areas? The good news is we can repent, turn to the Father, and seek His forgiveness and mercy. He will help us turn our lives around to become good stewards of the resources by which we’ve been blessed.
If you love shopping, judge yourself in that area and ask the Father for grace and inner strength to resist the urge to run to every ‘Sale’ that comes along to allure you into buying something you don’t need.
Eating out frequently, or buying coffee at our local coffee shop regularly, or constantly immersing ourselves in costly entertainment, we will bring undue stress and lack in our lives and family.
The solution is not to mishandle funds or live on credit cards to fulfill our lust for things and pleasure because in the end it will bite us and fill us with sorrows.
Let’s make a quality decision today to grow in establishing godly and healthy boundaries. Learning self-control is the best place to begin (Galatians 5:16-23).
Until next time, may God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, richly bless and keep you.
James Brown
CST 09/06/2024
Comments