Do You Feel Your Freedom is Limited by the Boundaries God Sets?

Find God’s Love in the “Thou Shalts” and “Thou Shalt Nots” Today!

I can remember the days of raising three teenagers. Each one challenged the boundaries we set in our home in different ways. One would never violate curfew but had a difficult time holding her tone at a respectful level. She knew the consequences for losing control of her tone when speaking with me. But there were times she deliberately just railed about whatever was on her mind. One time in the midst of such a railing, I asked her why she continued to do so when she knew the consequences would be sure and swift. She replied, “Because sometimes it feels so good to get it out that it’s worth the consequences.” Well, there you have it! At least she thought it out before violating the rules.

La Fuente de los Límites

Para los que crecimos sin un padre que nos pusiera límites o con uno que no los puso ni los ejemplificó adecuadamente, no se nos abandonó a nuestros propios medios para que resolviéramos todo. Dios nos ama incluso más que nuestros propios padres. Él quiere que crezcamos hasta llegar a ser la persona que nos ha diseñado a ser. Él quiere que estemos a salvo del daño físico y emocional causado por la vida engañosa, codiciosa y promiscua. Por lo tanto, no sólo estableció reglas para vivir en la Biblia, sino también las ejemplificó en la vida de Jesucristo. Tenemos el ejemplo que necesitamos para saber cómo actuar según las reglas.

Just as teenagers often think their parents’ rules are intended to keep them from having fun and living a full life, adults often think God’s “commands” are intended for the same purpose. But God’s intention is quite to the contrary. God wants us to have an abundant life free from guilt, shame, addictions and emotional scars that impair our efforts to attain all God has in store for us.

En el libro Words of Endearment: The Ten Commandments as a Revelation of God’s Love, Dr. William Coker, Sr. explains that God’s rules as articulated in the Ten Commandments “form the basis for a society that makes it possible to live together with respect.” (William B. Coker Sr., Words of Endearment: The Ten Commandments as a Revelation of God’s Love, (sermontobook.com, 2020), 234.) Dr. Coker affectionately calls the Ten Commandments “Words of Endearment” because they are an expression of God’s love, not rules to adhere to in order to receive salvation (Ibid, 11-12, 232-233).

When people think of God’s rules, they primarily think of the Ten Commandments set forth in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. They often refer to them as the “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” when discussing them a bit irreverently, pointing to them as chains on their freedom to live the lives they want to live. But God’s reason for establishing them was quite to the contrary. Dr. Coker explains that God set a pattern of living to enable us to “live a full and abundant life,” and adopting this pattern helps “maintain a whole and healthy society.” (Ibid, 24-25, 186.)

Dr. Coker further explains God’s boundaries don’t affect only society as a whole but also individuals, stating “cuando vivimos dentro de Su estructura, life is pleasant. When we don’t, there are consequences.” (Ibid, 170.)

Confianza en los Límites

Como un buen padre, Dios estableció límites saludables para protegernos a nosotros, Sus hijos. Su amor se demuestra en todos y cada uno de los Diez Mandamientos. Sin embargo, cuando un abogado le preguntó cuál era el mayor de los mandamientos, Jesús los redujo a dos muy sencillos: 1) Amarás al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, y con toda tu alma, y con toda tu mente; y 2) Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo (Mateo 22:35-40).

Dios estableció los límites para que podamos vivir una vida llena de amor en todas nuestras relaciones y en la sociedad en general. Si vivimos dentro de Sus límites, podemos confiar en que descubriremos todo el bien que Él ha creado para nosotros.

Adaptado de ¡Hola Papá, Soy Yo! Descubra al Padre Que Le Ama y Protege, que se publicará en octubre de 2021.