Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:23
The title of this passage is “The Believer’s Freedom” but the first verse of the passage stated everything— except freedom. It rather explained the contrary. It was all about boundaries.
I hated boundaries. Growing up, I manage to get everything I want, my way. My parents would give in to my decisions that’s why I was given my independence at a young age. But as I turned to be an adult, there was a time in my life when I fully understood the importance of boundaries. As a Christian, I saw myself as a tree planted by streams of water… close to abundance, close to my God (Psalm 1:3). But in that point of my life, I also knew that being planted by streams of water was not enough to make me grow well. I recognized that my roots were feeble and my branches were still weak. I knew I needed something to keep me strong and still. I needed a fence around me.
Growing up in Batanes where we are often visited by typhoons, we put a fence around young trees to keep them from being bent and uprooted when strong winds blow. In the same way, I felt the need to put a fence around me to serve as my protection when storms of life come.
When I came across 1 Corinthians 10:23, I first thought that boundaries were negative things. They would keep me from doing the things I want. It is said there that everything is permissible… and then there’s the big BUT that comes after it. It’s like being told that you can have all the marshmallows in the world but you can’t eat them.
Sometimes we are scared of boundaries because we think they would isolate us from the things we want, or from people we want to be with. But boundaries don’t keep other people out. They fence you in. What’s the difference? Well, they keep you safe and controlled. Being fenced in means being guided and guarded, rather than being isolated from things or people.
But boundaries just don’t exist. They are made. We draw lines to make boundaries around us. And we can either spend our lives drawing lines or crossing them. But there are some lines… that are way too dangerous to cross. It’s always a choice. If we draw lines, there would be some things that we won’t be allowed to do. But if we cross the lines, we can do everything with big consequences. It’s up to you. But still, prevention is way better than cure… and more often than not, it’s always too late to regret.
True freedom isn’t absolutely free. It comes at a prize. In this world, we are bounded by rules of society, rules of our parents, rules of Christianity. It’s up to us to follow them or break them. But at the end of the day, it would be us to bear the consequences of our choices. I hope you make the better choice. I hope you also embrace the boundaries you are in. Because they are there not to restrict us, but to limit our possibilities to make mistakes.
Blogged with 
