Not a year goes by without a natural disaster causing chaos somewhere in the world. Floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis destroy lives, homes, and livelihoods. No one would argue that the seas have a "right" to violate their established boundaries and crash across the coastline. In fact, people agree that disaster occurs whenever the sea breaches the shoreline. God Himself has "placed the sand as the bound of the sea" (Jer. 5:22).God also established boundaries for human behavior. Yet not a day goes by without countless violations of His commands, resulting in disastrous physical and spiritual consequences. Amazingly, we often argue that we have the "right" to violate these boundaries.
In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, God's people had stepped out of bounds, using deceit to become rich and refusing to defend the needy (5:27-28). The result was disaster. God said, "Your sins have withheld good from you" (v.25).
Within creation there is inherent order. Violating it has inherent consequences. God in His kindness simply and lovingly communicated to us the order of things so that we can avoid those consequences. We are wise to know and to stay within His prescribed boundaries.
Do we each stop to notice, really notice, the subtle but very real pain in the eyes of our family when we react in anger or selfishness when things don't go our way? The pain in the eyes I am talking about, is easy to walk past and ignore. ... Yes, we love our spouse and children, but is it love when we cross boundaries in our relationships, and withhold our love? Even if the other is wrong in what they say or do, we ourselves can still love and honor the boundaries God has created for us to respect in each and every family relationship.
May God help us search within ourselves and see how sometimes our simplest actions, or reactions, effect people deeply.
[Written by Julie Ackerman Link,
added to by Jim Hogue, MA, MFTI /
Supervisor: Peter Mosgofian, MA, MFT ]
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