Getting hosed, boundary and love

Every now and then, the concept of maintaining boundaries pops up in church circles. That may be because some believers are prone to guilt trips and have trouble resisting requests for help even when they are not reasonable.

Being aware of boundary issues is important, but some of us have built such fortresses that any personal interaction becomes heavily guarded. Frankly, being around people with this type of 'boundary' is awkward.

Boundaries becomes much less important when there is love. Take children for example, they are pretty creative at getting what they want--from being cute to fake crying to acting out; loving parents meet their kids' needs despite the method they use to get their way. In almost every love relationship, there will be some form of getting the other person do what 'I' want and vice versa; doing the bidding of a beloved is a pleasure and not something that needs to be guarded against.

If Jesus had decided to build a boundary against self-serving people, he would have avoided mankind all together. Instead we read that the incredible demands tugging all around him did not produce a fortress or barrier. He was free to feed, to give, to heal and to teach. His love was deep and wide, covering over a multitude of wrongs--including all the ways people disregarded his boundaries.