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Romans 12:2
Encouragement to fulfill God's purpose through Practical Life Application and Navigation

The Horse and The Hotwire

I believe that boundaries create freedom.

 

What?

 

That makes no sense at all!

 

Ahhh, but it really does.

 

Allow me to explain.

 

You can have fun, be creative, and enjoy your life to the fullest with no regrets when you operate within healthy boundaries. You only find yourself in trouble when you veer from the moral and just path for your life. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it will invariably end up detrimental to your well-being.

 

Becoming a slave to lies, walking around with a heavy, guilt-filled heart, and losing all that you have is no freedom at all.

 

Yes, the connotation of boundaries might elicit a negative reaction at first, but consider the consequences of life outside them and you’ll quickly discover the opposite is true.  Boundaries actually prevent you from being plagued with heartache, shame, and regret, and this in turn breeds true freedom indeed.

 

Here is an analogy that may help put this into better perspective – The Horse and The Hotwire.

 

I trained horses for twenty-three years. Many horse owners use a hotwire system as an effective means to keep their horse corralled. When you have a horse that constantly pushes on the fence to test for weak rails (the grass is always greener on the other side, of course!), he’s instantly reminded he must stay on his side of the fence. A sudden jolt of high-voltage electricity lets the horse know just where the boundaries are.

 

Now, within their fence, horses can run, jump, buck, play, and have the time of their lives, all while staying under the protection of their owner. Once they leave the boundary of the fence and the protection it provides, they’re completely on their own.

 

It’s kind of like that for us. If we keep testing the boundaries instead of living within them, we’re going to get shocked. If we continue to press and eventually end up on the other side of the fence, we’ll be left to our own devices without God’s covering on our lives. At that point, we’re nothing more than bait for all the ills of the world and for Satan, who aggressively seeks out those who are vulnerable and living unprotected.

 

The reality of life is it’s never greener on the other side of the fence; not by a longshot. God will make sure we have all we need on the right side of the fence; our job is to stay there and appreciate it to the fullest.

 

Live, laugh, and love, but do it in a way that makes God proud and leaves you guilt free. When you get the to the point where you live fully and freely within healthy boundaries, it’s then that you’ll find true contentment and joy.

 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

Living a life with Jesus means the responsibilities are being shared; shared with someone who has far more power and ability than we do. Jesus allows us to make our own choices, but He hopes we’ll chose to live within His protective covering. If there’s so much to gain by living this way – and even more to lose by not – doesn’t it make sense to stay within the safety that’s offered?

 

Think about the sacrifice Jesus made to provide this safety to us, and then consider the little that He’s asking in return. It hardly seems fair that all we’re asked to do is live an honorable life filled with the joy of the Spirit.

 

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