FREEDOM AND BOUNDARIES

"Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God
had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat
from any tree in the garden'?" - Genesis 3:1

God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries-freedom to manage what
He has entrusted to us, boundaries to protect us from evil. The
boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of
limiting Adam. Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries.
God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted
man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him
freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express
ourselves creatively through our work.
Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our work life. Whenever
you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain
decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area
of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of
responsibility. You need to know where those limits are and stay within
them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God's
authority and our authorities at work.
Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by
the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside
His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had
the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could
have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus
understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God's will for
His life. It was God's will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the
temptation. God was showing His Son that "man does not live on bread
alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4b).
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained
boundaries. Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen
through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating
someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward
God.
Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life. These are
meant to enhance your life, not hinder it.