LEARN TO SET BOUNDARIES

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 

“This far you may come, but no farther.” Job 38:11 NKJV 

Just as God established boundaries for the oceans so that the tides come in only so far, you must set limits on how far you let people go in interacting with you. When you fail to express your boundaries, people become unclear as to what behaviors will be accepted by you. They are left to decide based upon their own preferences, convenience, and whims. God has made you a steward over three key areas of your life, where the lines of interaction will become fuzzy if you don’t clearly define them: your time, your talent, and your treasure. It’s important to set clear boundaries in these three areas. And as you become secure enough to establish your personal boundaries, you must also go a step further and express the consequences you are willing to implement when someone violates them. This may sound a little harsh, but boundaries without consequences are just wishes. Wishes won’t change anybody’s behavior toward you. It’s sad to watch parents who constantly threaten to punish their children for wayward behavior, but never follow through. Some people who believe that mercy should endure forever deem it ungodly to set boundaries and impose consequences. But God does it! Here are two of them. (1) “If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings” (Mal 2:2 NIV). (2) “If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Mt 6:15 NIV). So the word for you today is learn to set boundaries.