Friday, February 14, 2014

love and boundaries

Happy Valentine's Day.

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.-- John 14:23 ESV

Love is in the air, or at least on the radio and TV. Everyone is talking about love or avoiding talking about love. My housemate and I are throwing a "Bring a Date and Die" party at our home this evening... if anyone comes. (At this point, it may just be the two of us watching the Olympics on NBC.)

Last night, I took a break from watching the Olympics to debrief life with my mentor at my favorite bar. She asked the standard arsenal of questions to catch back up on the happenings of life. Work, ministry, dating, the typical mentoring stuff. I told her that life was harder than I thought it would be and better than I thought it could be.

In the middle of the conversation, she asked about what had changed in the way I looked at life.

"I think I'm respecting better boundaries," seemed like a good enough reply.

"What does that mean?" she probed.

I realized, right then, that I expend so much time and energy trying to love like Jesus loves: without boundaries. I continue to see myself as perfect, able to love limitlessly. I refuse to acknowledge my limits, weaknesses, boundaries.

But, that's the beauty of grace. God uses my brokenness to reveal glory. I love with boundaries because I am broken. I love a broken world in a broken world. There are barbed wire fences around minefields in this broken world. Love is the antidote.

Maybe I've mixed too many metaphors...

Jesus is perfect and can love without limit. I am broken and need boundaries. The miracle is, Jesus uses us in our weakness. Love is supernatural strength in impossible human situation. Love never gives up. Oh, what a beautiful boundary:

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Cor 13:7

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Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

hey guys