Thursday, November 17, 2011

Limits

A concept that's been coming up a lot for me recently has been the idea of freedom within limits. Freedom within limits? Isn't that a contradiction?

I like to push boundaries. A lot. Sometimes, probably a little too much. So the idea of having limits on anything is something that kind of offends me, to a certain extent. And the idea of being FREE when your LIMITED seems like a complete contradiction in my mind. How can you be free to do what you want when your being told what you can and cannot do?

Here's the thing. I think there's a difference between being free to do what you WANT to do, and true freedom. In fact, I know there is. Because maybe being able to do whatever we want isn't really being free at all. And if that's the case, then the idea of having freedom within limits starts to make sense. Because if true freedom is having the ability to do what we know is right, then limits are there to provide us with a couple of extra boundaries just to make sure we don't stray into what isn't supposed to happen.

This whole thing came to mind because I had someone that I respect a lot sit down and tell me that I had to put limits on a friendship that was quickly getting out of hand. And yeah, I didn't like the idea. He said, "but then you'll be able to do anything within those limits. You'll be free to pursue a fulfilling, successful, thriving friendship within your limits. And then maybe as circumstances change the limits move."

Again, the idea of limits. Not a big fan. But I guess it's starting to make a little bit more sense :) Especially in relationships, isn't the whole point of BEING in a relationship that the limits of friendship come off?

YES. and then a very resolute NO.

Cuz then that leads to a whole new set of problems. And then where do the lines get drawn? If the lines just keep getting pushed farther and farther back than there's no point of having lines in the first place at all. Here's where the limits come in. And the freedom to enjoy something to the full extent within the limits that will keep it from turning into something it was never intended to be :)

But the thing is, he was RIGHT. There's a huge overwhelming sense of freedom in just realizing that your friends! And that God has given you these people, not to provide you with a sense of value or to prove to yourself that your "worth" something, but because they're awesome Christians that are walking a walk right alongside you and constantly encouraging. Which is funny, because I've never realized before how encouraging someone could be through their STRUGGLES. Another blog post for another day!!

Anyhoo. This limits idea. Maybe there's something to it after all. Even though part of me still thinks my "rights" or something is being tromped on. New word. Trompage.
And with that.....so ends this blog post :D

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