I've been overwhelmed with breaking the box lately. Breaking out of the mOLd that I feel we have all grown too familiar with blissfully abiding in. The boundaries which we have slowly created as our own standard of living, created by our illusions that living has to fit a certain mold. Have you ever thought about how much of our lives are dictated by society and our own worldview which places "standards" within our minds? How many unrightful boundaries have constrained us because of the same influence?
I discovered something about my husband the other day. Well, actually this characteristic is one he has spent almost half my life proving to me. . . that he supports my crazy attempts to break my own boundaries (within limits)! And yesterday's conversation proved that as a certainty. The conversation, brought me to this conclusion: I know I have a supportive husband when I express the reality that I am considering growing dReAdS and wearing bOOts for the rest of my life. . . and he's totally game.
Yes, he was all for it.
No hesitation.
No unfit boundaries.
No unruly standards.
Dreads and boots?! Go for it. He doesn't place me in a box. I guess because he knows me a bit too well. He lets me break the mOLd when necessary. And quite honestly, he has seen me break the mOLd a couple of times :) It keeps our lives interesting, I promise.
But not even Keith, my husband, sets my boundaries. So who alone should?
God.
That's it.
He aLoNe is worthy to place these upon my life and upon yours. Because God alone is JuSt and He alone is TruTh. Any boundary eXteRnaL of God and His Word is of our internal making, of the world itself, or of the Adversary. Those are worth nothing. Bluntly speaking, the world has never proven worthy of my worship and service. We are merely servants to the coMManDeR of our boundaries and standards and we choose whom we serve by whose standard we meet and boundaries we live by. (Read that again if needed!) We serve God by honoring His tRuth, or we compromise for less, and serve the world by honoring theirs.
The best way to do God justice with our lives is by living it according to His CaLL aLoNe, upon our life alone. We live and bLooM (if you will) according to that which allows us to grow! (As I was enlightened by the small voice of a great nephew once, that seeds need "rOOm to grow!".) So here is where grace fits. God's gRaCe gives us the room. Grace helps us find our boundaries through mistakes, mishaps, and misalignment. Grace gives us gentle nudges to the appropriate mOLd of boundaries and standards and gRaCe gives us the freedom, liberty, and safety to find our way out of those which confine. Then, Grace is our uLtiMaTe SubsTiTuTioN. Because there is one standard that we could never meet.
Perfection.
We are imperfect; tainted by flaws and mistakes. Therefore, a perfect One became our substitute. The standard of perfection we count not meet, was RePLaCeD with the Christ who does on our behalf. Now that's GrAcE at it's best.
Grace.
It's what we trust when we dare to discover our ReAL boundaries.
It's what will guide us to our appropriate standard of tRuTh and nothing less.
It's what we bloom by. And no one ever bloomed in a box.
Let the truth in God's Word and the whisper of His voice alone, be your guide as you trust in His grace, to grow you toward His direction for YoU. What is it that you want to "gO fOr?!" but the world and your own boundaries have made you hesitate? What is it God would have you do? His answer is yours. The God who doesn't fit into AnY box, didn't design you to either.
God.
Grace.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
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Hashtag Rehashes:
#StandardShmandard
#HisCallAlone
#TrustinginHisGrace
#RoomToGrow
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