Setting Boundaries

I do not know about you, but setting boundaries has always been difficult. My life bleeds from one area to another, the borders not defined. I write in the margins, fill up the page. I look ahead, read the last page; my parameters of the yes and no are blurred.  

But, God sets boundaries for everything from the beginning.

In the beginning:

• Heavens and earth, with space to separate

• Light and dark, with light to separate using the sun and moon

• Seas and dry land, with the seas only going so far

• Fish in the sea, birds, and animals on land, separate from the humans

Eat everything but from this tree. Eat everything, all the things, except the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Everything was very defined; never the two shall cross boundaries.

Yet, here comes in the serpent to blur the lines, temptation of greatness. Eve could not resist. There was a line, a boundary not to cross, yet the temptation was too much, and the blurred line created division and turmoil.

I see this in my own life. My lack of boundaries is skewed: one more hour at work, one more email, one more response, one more call. I check email at the dinner table to get a jump on tomorrow. The temptation of just a little bit more creates turmoil in my life at home, bringing, no inviting, work stress into my sanctuary of home.

God did so well to set the example of boundaries: Heaven and earth, day and night. We only need to follow His example.