In his book Boundaries, Henry Cloud says “If you don’t create boundaries for yourself someone will create them for you.” I have always thought about this when struggling to make healthy boundaries in every area of my life. If I am not going to be proactive and set some healthy boundaries in my job, hobbies, time management, television watching, and the list goes on – then someone will set them for me. In most cases without boundaries we are blown around by the wind from one thing to the next without any strategic purpose. In the spiritual sense, without a commitment to healthy boundaries Satan capitalizes on your weaknesses.
Set some boundaries today in 3 key areas of your life – relationship with God, relationship with your family (including spouse, kids, and extended family), relationship with work. Take some time to write down these boundaries and then share them with a few significant people in your life. When you write down the boundaries they are achievable. When you share those boundaries with someone significant in your life then you become accountable to the boundaries.
Healthy boundaries with accountability could have kept many men from destroying their marriage with another woman. Healthy boundaries could have kept saved the CEO’s relationship with his children. Healthy boundaries could have kept the stress of credit card debt from undermining your mission. Do you get it? Relationships, work, and money will set unhealthy boundaries for you unless you grab them by the horns and take charge.
Stop now and plan on a time this week to begin to identify boundaries in the most important relationships in your life.