God has apportioned us a certain territory, a realm of responsibilities for our earthly life. We are made in His image and called to steward and cultivate the space we are given. When I reflect on my life, I can see many times when I resisted where the boundary lines had fallen... God knows exactly what we can do through Him, and He sets our boundary lines in pleasant places, offering us a delightful inheritance.
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1. Some basic examples of boundary stones can be found in the Ten Commandments. God set up guidelines to protect His people from sin and destruction. Reflect on a time you crossed the boundary stones set for you by God’s word. What were you looking for on the other side? What were the consequences? How have you resisted crossing the boundary stones recently?
2. How can we help our children understand that these boundary stones exist to flourish them, not to frustrate them? Discuss this with your husband.
3. There are many secular proverbs for women that encourage us to draw our own boundary lines. For mothers, the encouragement is often to draw in, lower the bar, expect less of ourselves, and put off our calling until our children require less of us. There can be shades of truth in all of these cultural messages, but just as God would never call us to hustle for our worth (as culture does), neither does he want us to accept less than His plan for our lives. What cultural messages have been motivating your expectations of yourself? Journal out a list of these messages and prayerfully seek scriptural truth to better understand what God’s expectations for you are.
4. Another application of these scriptures on boundary stones is to consider how God feels when someone crosses our boundaries in friendship or relationship. Based on these scriptures how do you think God feels when that happens? Some examples of this would be friendships that do not respect the biblical values we’ve set for our lives and try to get us to compromise them. More frequently in this phase of our lives, we may encounter someone who expects more out of us relationally than God is calling us to give; specifically, they need Jesus, but they’d rather we be the ones to comfort them, encourage them, serve them, and meet their needs. When I have felt as though someone is crossing my boundaries, I have been grateful for godly mentors in my life to discuss the situation with. Sometimes, I need to soften my heart and better serve this person, but usually, I need to remember that the best thing I have to offer them is the truth about Jesus Christ. This has often resulted in rejection and abandonment, but I take heart in the fact that Jesus experienced this, too. Boundaries remind us that we are human, and that our Father in heaven knows what is best for our lives.
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Momma Theologians Contributor
Adrienne Garrison
Adrienne Garrison lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her husband and their two little ones, soaking up the daily grace of a steadfast God. She is a contributing writer at Momma Theologians and Coffee + Crumbs, and her short stories have been featured in Literary Mama and LETTERS Journal. Adrienne believes magic takes the form of heart-to-heart conversations, petit-fours, and walks in the woods. You can find more of her writing and sign up for her newsletter at adriennegarrison.com
