Month: June 2019

TADB 057: Limits, Boundaries, and Self-Control

Are there limits to “no limits”?  Throughout history mankind has had the tendency to push the known limits and beyond.  Discoveries in medicine, space, oceans, and the human cell have been the result of mankind’s drive to go further than anyone has gone before.  Even running a 4 minute mile was seen as an impenetrable barrier until Roger Bannister broke it in 1954.  Since then over 1400 athletes have broken the 4 minute mile and over the last 65 years, the record has been lowered by 17 seconds.  The sound barrier was also considered a limitation to flight until 1947 when Chuck Yeager broke it in his X-1.  Today flying through the sound barrier is only an annoyance on the way to hypersonic flight.

Science, medicine, and physical achievements are constantly being pushed to the limits and beyond.  Unfortunately, so also are immorality, extravagance, and cruelty. 

One of the conundrums of living a counter cultural kingdom life is the polarity between limits and no limits.  Our culture says, “If it can be done, it should be done” or “If it can’t be done, it still should be done”.  Breaking barriers through science has resulted in greater comfort, better health, and increased longevity, but it has also created ethical dilemmas. 

Constantly bombarded with the message of “No Limits”, children are told they can be whatever they want to be including whatever gender they want to be.  A recent leadership book, No Limits, has the subtitle “Blow the Cap Off of Your Capacity”.

As a follower of Christ, we need to re-evaluate the “No Limits” mantra.  Debt, adultery, fatigue, and broken relationships are all symptoms of exceeding limits.  Initially, we can usually get by with it, but eventually it comes back to bite us.

Our “no limits” culture pressures us to accept the mindset of faster, higher, better, and more as being normal.  That expectation removes all boundaries and easily leads to hubris, dissatisfaction, disappointment, and addiction.  Living on a budget (setting limitations) is not simply good financial advice; its application fits the rest of life as well.

Scripture teaches that one of Satan’s strategies is to distort God’s good design by twisting it to feed our self-centered rebellion.  It all started in the Garden of Eden and continues to the present.  The story in the Garden involved both beauty and boundaries.  The boundaries were rejected, however, and the rest of history is the story of both the success and failure of God’s people to recognize, live by, and enjoy the limits set by God.    

Scripture teaches that boundaries and limitations are part of God’s ordered creation.

  • You have established all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter (Psalm 74:17).
  • And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation (Acts 17:26).

Beyond the obvious moral boundaries the questions remain:

  • Are there limits and boundaries for kingdom living?
  • If so, who sets them?

Jesus is the supreme model of one who chose to set limitations on Himself in order to accomplish a higher purpose. 

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8). 

Paul is another example of someone who set limits for himself.  He disciplined his body (set limits) and made it his slave (self-control) so that he would not be disqualified, could finish his race of faith, and receive the wreath of victory that would never fade (1 Corinthians 9:23-27).  Paul did not depend on his culture to set boundaries for his life.  Rather his kingdom commitment set the boundaries.    

Growing up in the mid twentieth century, the culture around me theoretically supported a kingdom life- style.  Its morality and values had deep roots in the Judeo-Christian worldview.  But as that support faded with the onslaught of moral relativism, we can no longer rely on the culture (even the church culture) to set our limitations and boundaries. 

An apprentice of Christ and His kingdom sets his/her boundaries based on an increasing intimacy with Christ and asks “not can I, but should I?”  

Questions for reflection

1.  Is there an area of life that needs boundary clarification?

2.  What are the biblical principles that can help set wise boundaries?

TADB 056: An Audience of One

Several years ago Mary and I received tickets from close friends to see the “Phantom of the Opera” in Kansas City.  Our friends had received the tickets as a gift but were not able to attend.  The musical was just beginning to travel across the country after a long and successful run on Broadway.  We were very excited to see it and decided to make it a special “At the Theater” date night.

We were not aware that the doors were closed just before show time because of the dramatic opening scene.  We arrived just in time to be hurried by the usher to our seats.  But to our surprise they were already occupied.  Checking both sets of tickets, the usher told us that there was a problem and took us down to the main ticket booth for an explanation.

The manager looked at our tickets and explained that they were bogus.  Fearing arrest and expulsion, I related how we got the tickets and our friends (and source) would surely not do such a thing.  We must have been convincingly embarrassed because the manager took pity on our situation.  Looking at the remainder of options she said she had only two seats left in the theater and we could have them if we wanted.  She called them “limited visibility” seats.  I expected them to be up in the lighting booth or under the stage but to our surprise they were in the front, far left row.  Only one corner of the stage was blocked.  Superior upgrade!

Thinking that I would never be this close to the stage again, I decided to explore the orchestra pit during the intermission.  It was located under the stage so, as unobtrusively as possible, I wondered down into the “pit”. 

The musicians were on break as I entered this mysterious new world.  What most intrigued me was the view from the “pit”.  Sunken beneath the stage the only thing that orchestra members could see was the platform of the conductor.  They couldn’t see the stage, the audience, or even the ceiling which was obscured by the lights.

My first thought was “how inconvenient”.  But on further reflection it made sense.  They didn’t need to see the stage or the audience.  They only needed to see the conductor and only he needed to see the stage.  Their role was to keep one eye on their music and the other on the conductor.  He would cue them when to start and stop, how loud or soft, how fast or slow to play.  They were not performing for the actors or the audience but only for the conductor.  It was the conductor’s job to please the actors, audience, and owners, etc.  The musician’s job was to please the conductor.

It struck me how similar discipleship is to that pit orchestra.  We are called to follow Him, the conductor of the orchestra.  We have our own score (music) and it is but one part of many that creates the music.  Each part blending with others to give harmony, depth, and clarity to the drama taking place even though we cannot see and may never even know what is being played out. 

Our focus is not on who or how many tickets are sold, how many showed up for the performance or the volume of their applause.  It is pretty simple:  play our part well for the approval of the Conductor.

My next question was personal:  Who do I play for?  The applause of the crowd?  The praise of the actors?  The members of the orchestra?  Myself?  Or is it for an audience of One (John 8:29)?

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,” (Col 1:9-10).

“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts” (1Thess. 2:4) 

It’s a process of maturity, of learning to shift the focus from ourselves to the One who created and called us.  We began our apprenticeship with Christ with a strong bent toward self-fulfillment and narcissism wanting our spiritual needs met and our brokenness healed.  But having experienced His gracious provision, our relationship needs to refocus on Christ and His purposes.  As part of His orchestra, our role is a gift and whether we play oboe or violin, first chair or last, melody or harmony, we are to play our part with enthusiastic excellence…for the Conductor.

Some days I think I get it.  Some days definitely not.  Most days are a mixture of motives that are not clear.  So I welcome Paul’s prayer of Col 1:9-10 for spiritual wisdom and understanding.  I need His work of liberation from my self-centeredness in order to “walk worthy of the Lord and please Him in all respects”… performing my part for an audience of One.

Question for reflection:

What concepts or perspectives can help us shift from using God to pleasing Him?