“I have the right to do anything,” you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” – but I will not be mastered by anything. – 1 Corinthians 6:12
There’s a hole in one of my flower beds where I removed a grapevine last fall. I’m excited about planting something else in that spot this spring, but right now, it’s just a big hole. My grandchildren have loved digging in that hole. They have child-sized garden tools and they’ve dug up worms, rocks, and roots. They’ve buried things and excavated them. This spot has been a source of enjoyment for them for several months. Unfortunately, that changed last week when my neighbor called to say that my grandchildren had been tossing dirt over the fence onto his driveway and patio. I thanked him for calling but was mortified that this had happened and promptly marched the kids next door to clean up. Next, they wrote a note of apology to this neighbor, signed it, and placed it in his mailbox. They promised me they’d never do this again, and I hope that’s the case. Nonetheless, the garden tools are put away for a while and the digging has stopped! I’m sad that something that seemed like innocent fun could quickly get out of hand and create a big problem.
It reminded me how we as adults allow innocent things to become bad for us. Eating a handful of chips can turn into eating a bag of chips. Watching an hour of TV can result in binge-watching an 8-hour drama. Being on social media for 10 minutes can evolve into… well, you get the picture.
A few years ago, I read a book called Boundaries – When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life (Cloud and Townsend). The basic premise of the book is that we must set boundaries in every area of our life, or things will get out of control. If we allow food, alcohol, relationships with people, social media, or a host of other things to become more important than our relationship with God, we’ll never be happy, because we were created to be in relationship with Him. We nurture this relationship through prayer, Bible study, and serving others.
Digging in the backyard was a good thing, which turned bad when dirt flew over the fence. Now the digging has ceased! Is there anything in your life that needs to cease, so your relationship with God can increase?
– Susan Easttom, Director of Family Ministry
