TODAY THE WORDS ARE “IN OR OUT OF BOUNDS”. In so many games, the base line, the court base lines, or within the goal posts, etc. which come into play and determines if a teams scores or does not score. We hear the sports commentators say it was out of bounds, or he or she was in bounds and scored. It is very defined with chalk or paint the specific lines a player cannot cross or “out of bounds”, “foul”, or “bad shot” is yelled out. This sets the play and gives the players a clear cut path from which to work. Coaches train the players, caddies direct the golfers on the defined greens, players practice shots over and over to stay within the defined playing field. We as side liners, aw, ugh, and sigh and fuss when it doesn’t stay with in the bounds set by the officials. This is an enlightening lesson of how life works too. Not all of us humans stay within the standard boundaries, and because of that decision, we usually pay a huge price by losing things in our lives. We lose friends, family, relationships, jobs, homes, cars, and sometimes even faith. We get with the wrong team players and it distracts or allows us to become distracted from the normal playing rules. Now for the deeper thought…..How many times have you seen a player and/or a coach argue with the referee? Sometimes, they may have a valued point; sometimes they don’t! You don’t however see too many objections about whether a hit or a pass is out of bounds and if you do, those arguments are not as frequent. People scream foul or illegal moves more than they argue out of bounds. This being said, I find that living in a world of different people with different cultures, social acceptance, different faiths, and life styles; people do not have a clear picture of exactly what is out of bounds or what should be acceptable behavior and I hear that sometimes beliefs should change with the times. There are times when people will toss ideas and behavior back and forth. Yes, Jesus had unconditional love for all people and He taught us how to love. There are society’s boundaries on our behavior and whether they are defined by His Word or by moral attributes; we have the built in boundary line within ourselves and if we recognize any acceptance or denial of others’ actions, we have to remember Jesus loves us all. He loves the sinner and not the sin. I think sometimes the confusion in life is the clear definition of what is sin or not sin. These are not the easy ones like murder and adultery. I am not sure if any of us know exactly what to do in every case and that figuring out those boundaries may be part of our individual life journey. Love life, live life, and love to the best of our faith!
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Philippians 2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Philippians 2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
