Boundaries have to begin with the individual. I am responsible for me. You are responsible for you. I love being productive and yet personal. We are to be about God's business, right? How do we get it all done? I don't believe we do. We make choices and schedules. Then we do our best to keep our priorities.
Do your best to do what you can to schedule your day. We have all heard if we don't have our day planned then others will plan it for us. It is the same with boundaries for our life let alone our day. Let me give you an example. On Mondays I take a Sabbath. On this day I do self care. Then on Tuesdays I do paperwork, which includes emails, correspondence, phone calls, creative scheduling and planning, etc. Then on Wednesdays I do sermon preparation and study, as well as prepare for mid-week services. Thursdays I meet with people, home visits, hospital visits, counseling appointments. Fridays I recover from Thursday and continue to prepare for speaking engagements or Sunday services, travel to engagements, pack or unpack, etc. The reason I met these boundaries on myself and my schedule is I am better able to be present and complete my tasks without interruption. Bottom line is have a plan and then work your plan. As Lisa TerKeurst put's it, "We need our best yes", but we also need to have a firm "No".
Do your best to do what you can to schedule your day. We have all heard if we don't have our day planned then others will plan it for us. It is the same with boundaries for our life let alone our day. Let me give you an example. On Mondays I take a Sabbath. On this day I do self care. Then on Tuesdays I do paperwork, which includes emails, correspondence, phone calls, creative scheduling and planning, etc. Then on Wednesdays I do sermon preparation and study, as well as prepare for mid-week services. Thursdays I meet with people, home visits, hospital visits, counseling appointments. Fridays I recover from Thursday and continue to prepare for speaking engagements or Sunday services, travel to engagements, pack or unpack, etc. The reason I met these boundaries on myself and my schedule is I am better able to be present and complete my tasks without interruption. Bottom line is have a plan and then work your plan. As Lisa TerKeurst put's it, "We need our best yes", but we also need to have a firm "No".
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Jesus had far more stress, far more pressure, and far more responsibility than any of us and yet he remained relaxed, joyful, and generous with people.
Personal boundaries are what define your identity. They’re like the property lines around a home. This is my property and that is not my property. This is me — what I value, am good at, believe, need, or feel — and that is not me. If we don’t have clear personal boundaries and limits we get weighed down and walked on. Eventually we start having problems with anger, resentment, stress overload, or burn out.
Jesus wasn’t always nice to people. Often he didn’t do what people wanted him to do. There were many people he didn’t help. Whenever he did help other people he expected them to do their part. For instance, even in Jesus’ miracles he asked people to do something, usually something they felt they couldn’t do. (The blind man had to walk a long way to get to the pool of Siloam to wash the mud out of his eyes.)
Personal boundaries are what define your identity. They’re like the property lines around a home. This is my property and that is not my property. This is me — what I value, am good at, believe, need, or feel — and that is not me. If we don’t have clear personal boundaries and limits we get weighed down and walked on. Eventually we start having problems with anger, resentment, stress overload, or burn out.
Jesus wasn’t always nice to people. Often he didn’t do what people wanted him to do. There were many people he didn’t help. Whenever he did help other people he expected them to do their part. For instance, even in Jesus’ miracles he asked people to do something, usually something they felt they couldn’t do. (The blind man had to walk a long way to get to the pool of Siloam to wash the mud out of his eyes.)
Challenge for today: Take a good hard look at your schedule and ask the Lord to help you set healthy boundaries. Then pray to God for the grace to live your life to bring Him glory.
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