Boundaries

Ran onto this article written by Melissa Brady, wife of Jim Brady of the Booth Brothers. Thought it was worth sharing:

"Television, music, movies, magazines and the Internet are continually bombarding us with glamorized immorality. Where there used to be boundaries, there are none and what was once uncommon, is now “the norm” on the social scene. Romance is portrayed as physical attraction only and it seems those involved in physical relationships are getting younger every day.

Jim and I often have young people come to us for advice. Sometimes about music, sometimes to ask what kind of movies they should watch and many times, how they should handle themselves with the opposite sex. Knowing, of course, that their parents have probably already given them the answers to these questions, we encourage them to make decisions as their parents would have them do. In addition, we encourage them to set boundaries for themselves.

We live in a “boundary-less” society and having someone advise you to set boundaries may sound foreign to you. But, as the old saying goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything!”

A friend of mine had set boundaries for herself as far as what she would do with her boyfriend. Then they got engaged, and because they were planning to get married, she thought it would be OK to cross some of those boundaries, tearing down her own walls of conviction. After crossing those boundaries, she and her fiance broke up and she found herself unable to take back what she had done. Not keeping that promise to herself was something she would take into her next relationship and eventually into her marriage.

Society doesn’t tell you stories like that of my friend. The consequences of romance without boundaries are hidden. The shiny, outside exterior of “fun” is just a costume that hides teen pregnancy, disease and emotional heartache.

I encourage you all, married and single alike, to set boundaries for yourselves. Put blocks on your Internet access. When something questionable comes on the TV, turn the channel.

Set goals for yourself and don’t put yourself in a vulnerable situation. Most importantly, surround yourself with godly friends who will encourage you in your endeavors. My dad used to quote Psalms 1 to me and remind me that if I didn’t run with “the ungodly”, I wouldn’t get into their trouble. I HATE getting into trouble, so I’ve always thought that was a pretty good philosophy to live by.

If you’ve already crossed boundaries you never intended to cross, you can begin again. We are NOT slaves to our culture. We are NOT hopeless. And we were NOT created to live in defeat. As Romans 8:37 tells us, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us!

Living a godly life is a minute by minute journey with many obstacles along the way, but we have the power to prevail. We ARE more than conquerors, and although society tells us purity is impossible, remember, with God ALL things are possible!"