Boundaries or Walls?

Today's reading: "For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Galatians 6:3 (additionally Gal. 6:1-5 for more in depth reading.) 

I have been doing some serious thinking and reflecting on my own spiritual inventory, lately. I don't think that I need a self-help book to tell me that there are things in my life that need to be repaired. All of us who are in Jesus come to Him broken. It is up to Him to fix us and to restore us and make us better than we were before we knew Him. I know many people who go to counseling or a therapist or those that read self-help books to make their lives seem better. Although I am not going to be dismissive here and say that one should not seek that help, there are those who are legitimately in need of help, but I am saying that as Christians, the answers we seek are in the Bible. God's word is sharper than any two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12 says this, "For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." God's Word has the answers we need to grow in our lives. 

Boundaries are just lines for building walls. I have known a few people who have claimed that they were co-dependent, and that they have needed to establish boundaries. As Christians, I cannot agree with the notion of boundaries when we are called to be transparent to one another, to be real. Boundaries are imaginary lines, lines that establish protocol behavior, designed to keep people out or hide something. At least that is how I understand it. Boundaries are just a precursor to building  walls to alienate those close to you, or to keep someone at arms length so that he/or she will not hurt you.

It is my opinion that we ought not to have boundaries because Christ did not have boundaries. He did not need them. He is the Truth, and He does not need to hide things. Boundaries imply selfishness, and self-centeredness. As Christians we are not to be self-centered, but Christ-centered which comes from putting Jesus on the throne of our heart.

Being a Christian is not about being religious, but having a relationship with the true and living God. Jesus knows we need to change, and He will make those changes in our lives as we are willing to give those areas in our lives to Him. It is not about us or anything we can do on our own. It is about recognizing the power and love of Jesus Christ at work in our life. In 1 John it says that, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:17-19 If you are abiding in Christ, walking truthfully according to the Bible, you know that Christ's love dwells in your heart. It is His love that casts out your fear, that empowers you, heals you and emboldens you to do His will.

For the individual walking in Christ, remember that we are free in Christ. He is the source of out strength, our healing, our freedom. John 8:32 tells us that "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." You are not free when you establish boundaries. A square has four sides. A triangle has three sides. A Pentagon has five sides. I know this is abstract, but if you look at those shapes as boundaries on each front of your life they are walls waiting to be built up. Building walls is a defense mechanism to keep people out of your life. Boundaries are restricting and enclosing, they shut you off from reality and the truth. 

Being a Christian is not about us being religious but obediently following Jesus. We must not blame others for things we have allowed to transpire within our lives. Instead, we must learn to forgive those who have hurt us, take responsibility for our own part in believing the lie that allowed us to let others have power over our lives. If you think it is wrong to be codependent, you are mistaken in that we are totally codependent on Jesus to be our banner, and life giver. Are you having issues in your daily life? Are there old hurts that just seem to not go away? Do you see things in a distorted way that has made you forget that we must rely on and trust Jesus as the means of change in our our heart? Are you trying to make changes in your life by your own means, through the flesh? Are you just creating boundaries to hide from sin? If so, you are probably not alone. If you want to see genuine change in your life, true healing then "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:10 

My prayer today is: Jesus, please help us all to see that we need you every moment of the day, that we need not establish personal boundaries in ways that make us selfish. Help us all to be peaceable and open to your will. Let us not walk in a way that is self-centered but Christ-centered. Help us to live truthfully, being real in every way. Life is not about making us better people, but being better people through Christ's love and service to others. Help us to speak the truth with a kind heart and let no ill words come forth from our lips. Let us continue to rely upon you, our provider, our life giver, and deliverer. In your name, Amen.

Blue Letter Bible. "Paul's Epistle - Galatians 6 - (NKJV - New King James Version)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 18 Jun 2011. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gal&c=6&t=NKJV > 

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"Word" AND "sharper" AND "any"' in the NKJV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 18 Jun 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=Word+sharper+any&t=NKJV >