"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.
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