I Need Boundaries!

Boundaries are important in life…

They guide us in what we should and shouldn’t say. Well, most of us. I think there have been times where I have turned off the speech boundary switch.

They help us know which lanes we should drive in. Again, not all of us seem to see those. Just last night on I-75 I questioned if one gentleman knew what those dotted lines meant.

Chairs make a great boundary. I would love to remove them from my children’s church but the kids seem to forget how to act as soon as I try it.

We have to live our life by boundaries as well. This is especially true in ministry. Here’s some things I have had to do to make sure my life has proper boundaries.

1) First off I like to use the word “priorities”. I have set priorities, I think everyone has. Anyone can make a list of priorities, it’s a totally different thing to actually live by them. For instance, I am sure every Christian should put God at the top of the priority list. He surely comes in #1 on my list. Sometimes though I don’t feel like He’s #1. Sometimes things seem to try and push Him out. I have to measure how am I really spending my time? How I spend my time determines what my priorities really are.

2) Learn to say “no”. They are some good things you are going to have to say “no” to. There may even be some great things to say “no” to. You can’t do every good thing. You have to do what God has called you to do.

3) “Do first things first and second things not at all” (Peter Drucker). We talk a lot about R.O.I., return on investment, here at Life Christian Church. Is there a better way I could be spending my time? Is this worth the effort I am putting into it?

4) What am I doing that someone else can do? What are the things that only I can do? This is one of my weak points. I have to learn to delegate and duplicate myself in others at a higher level.

5) Fight for your family (or marriage, free time, hobby, etc), because no one else will. It’s not your boss’ duty to fight for those things, only you can know whats worth fighting for. No one is going to schedule dates for me and my wife. My pastor isn’t going to make sure I am spending quality and quantity time with my daughters.