Setting Boundaries

“Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established; do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.”   Proverbs 4:26-27 NASB

I bought a new phone today. It’s nothing fancy; in fact my brother told me it was from the Stone Age because it was so basic. I really wanted a high-tech phone; one with all of the apps and fancy capabilities. For me, though, I can’t have one. It’s not that I can’t afford one, it’s that I know there would always be temptation at the end of my fingers.

Just like food addicts need to stay away from buffets, I can’t have ungoverned access to devices with internet capabilities. It doesn’t matter how many years I remain clean, I know that all it takes is giving in one time and that could open the door to moving backward into an addiction I have tried for over five years to beat.

This is just one boundary I’ve chosen to set for myself. I also avoid movies above PG, I don’t “surf” the net, and I have filters and accountability software on all of my electronic devices. Sometimes I get really frustrated at what I can and cannot do because of the boundaries I have had to set for myself; but I’m NOT going to change them. The boundaries keep me safe. They are in place to protect my eyes, mind, heart, and soul. I know the places and things that could open the door to temptation-so I stay away from them! When I was younger, I used to see how close to the line I could get without crossing it. Now, I realize the farther away from it I stay, the less likely I am to fall back into old habits. Healthy, self-imposed boundaries are worth the hassle if it means they aid in me growing spiritually and maintaining purity.

What boundaries do you need to set in order to be victorious through this recovery process? I challenge you to make a list of places, people, attitudes, and things that could be stumbling blocks in your life. Take your list to God during your prayer time and ask Him to show you anything you may need to add. Then, with His help try to set some healthy and necessary boundaries in your life.

God, I don’t want to go back to old habits. I want to keep walking cleanly and purely before You. If there are boundaries I need to set in order to keep You as Savior of my life, then I want to put them in place. Even if it’s hard or uncomfortable, I will do whatever it takes. Give me Your strength.