Our lives are full of boundaries. Without them we would live in chaos. From fences to signs to walls to hedges to railings—these and many more boundaries are there to keep order in our society, to prevent accidents and harm, to guard against crime and injustice. You would not want to live in a society without boundaries.

 

Yet, many of us have never recognized that we must set boundaries for our own lives if we are to avoid chaos and harm. Setting boundaries does not mean we live in isolation, nor does it mean that we live self-centered lives. It simply means that we recognize and understand who we are in Christ and what he has called us to do. Based on that, we understand where we must draw the lines that say, “Here and no more,” because without those boundaries, we will never accomplish what God has called us to do.

 

Jesus knew that he had to set reasonable boundaries in his life and ministry here on earth in order to accomplish what God had sent him to do in just a few short years. So, he stayed focused on his purpose and did not allow others to sidetrack him. He knew how and when to set boundaries.

 

Personal boundaries for our lives are set by discipline. Boundaries for others in our lives are most often set with words. And the most basic boundary-setting word is no. No is not a four-letter word; it is not a bad word. Jesus said in Matthew 4:37, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” In other words, no should be a word in your vocabulary that you use at appropriate times, with clarity, so no one can misunderstand you.

 

Now, this is a more difficult question to answer, because each of us has to seek God’s wisdom and guidance on a daily basis to know what he wants us to do and what he doesn’t want us to do. If we live each day centered in God’s will, we won’t have boundary problems. His Spirit within us will be guiding our decisions and choices; he will be giving us instruction about when and how to say no. So, our challenge is to live each day centered in his will.