Boundaries | Love Letters

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

THOU SHALT NOT… For most of the world, those three words define God. When people don’t actually know Him or study His word, they rely on hearsay, skeptics, or (sadly) religion for their ideas about who He is. And for some reason, we decide that any God who would forbid certain things must be a monster and not worth our time. But let’s challenge that assumption. Do we apply that same standard to anyone else? For example, a husband says to his wife, “Thou shalt not kiss other men.” Is he a dictator? A mother says to her teen, “Thou shalt not attend drinking parties.” Is she a monster?

So what it is about God’s boundaries that sets our teeth on edge? Why do we accept limitations within other relationships, but dig in our heels when our Creator sets them? The answer is that we don’t value the relationship enough. A wife gladly submits her husband’s zero tolerance policy on dating other men because she values the marriage. A teen obeys his mother’s fun-squashing because the consequence of disappointing her is not worth it. Rules without relationship are a drudgery—that includes religious rules. But when we value the supreme privilege of walking in fellowship with the Lord God Almighty, when we cherish the amazing sacrifice of Jesus, when we delight in the freedom of a clear conscience, God’s boundaries are welcome.

Final Thought:  Rules without relationship is religion, but a relationship without rules doesn’t last long.

Prayer: Father, I have resisted and disobeyed many of your rules because I did not value you enough. I’m learning to. Help me continue pursuing a deeper experience with you so that I gladly welcome and obey your boundaries. In Jesus name, Amen.