BOUNDARIES: They aren't always a bad thing.

Last year, my husband and I {Toi} had to establish boundaries with some love ones in our life who weren't respecting how we were doing life as a family.  We love them but we couldn't keep giving them easy access into our lives.   We knew that to follow Jesus and live the life He has for us, boundaries had to be put in place.  It didn't seem natural at first until I read Matthew 21:12-14 in The Message.

"Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves.
Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them."  

Jesus was establishing boundaries. He knew He couldn't successfully do His Father's business without first establishing boundaries on what could and couldn't be allowed in the Temple.  Once Jesus cleared the Temple out of all the thieves and their junk, He was able to make room for those needing healing. 

​Boundaries are what allow us to keep out the stuff we don't want in our lives to make room for the good things we do want in our lives. Boundaries are for us and our lives what fences are to our yards. They keep people and critters from having easy access to our yards (life.)  

I'm not going to lie, maintaining our established boundaries is hard at times. People like to try to climb your fences/boundaries or throw things over at you (which only goes to confirm why you need the boundaries in the first place.)  Hold fast and press into the Lord, for He is our strength. (Psalm 28:7) 
  

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