I’ve always thought of boundaries in relationships as drawing a line to keep unhealthy behavior at bay. You know, such as needed for an abusive spouse or a friend who keeps infringing on your time and space.
So when I got to the “Boundaries and God” chapter in Cloud’s and Townsend’s book Boundaries, I was somewhat startled.
Why in the world would we need boundaries with God?
A mentor once introduced me to a simple diagram which has brought me much clarity in living a more balanced life and having healthier relationships. It helps us know when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” Most importantly, it puts God in His rightful place, resulting in freedom to live a fulfilling and purposeful life.
God seems to speak to me in themes, getting my attention by repeating the same concepts in different ways. Recently, the fact that God will make a way where there seems to be none — moving mountains and parting the sea, so to speak — has been prevalent.
In a world where things go wrong, where evil is present, and where we don’t have full control, is it possible to have peace in every situation?
I would say it is. But it depends on our choices, especially in response to what we can’t control.
Everyone fails. That reality should free us, but it doesn’t. We believe too many lies that keep us from moving past failure to freedom: We believe our failure is unredeemable. We believe failure defines us. We believe it is unforgivable. We believe others caused it. We believe we have to live in the defeat of our failure. And we believe that only bad results from failing.
As you read those statements, you probably recognize the fallacy in each one. Still, how do we shake off those lies and move forward?
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