Living in Chaos or Equipped?
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.–2 Timothy 3:16-17
Some friends asked me to feed their fish while they were away. One day I thought, How boring for that fish. He needs a party. So I removed the fish from the tank and set him on the couch with the remote, food, and magazines. He was in heaven—freedom from his bowl, no boundaries, no one to make him stay put. He looked lonely, so I set some frozen fish sticks nearby. They were a little cold toward him, but at least he wasn’t alone. OK, that didn’t happen. The truth is, if I remove that fish from his boundaries, he will experience death, not freedom.
Consider baseball without boundaries. What if we ignored the rule of wearing a helmet when batting? What if one team chose five outs and the next inning the other team chose six? Any sport without rules, an official, or boundaries would be chaos.
Boundaries protect us and give life. Outside of those God-given boundaries is chaos and pain. God gave us the Bible to help us understand the boundaries of life and fully equip us for every good thing He wants us to do. The world may say to live any way we want; but God created boundaries to protect us and help us enjoy a full life. I encourage you to live fully equipped!
1. Do you agree or disagree with this quote from E. Stanley Jones: “Either you surrender to Christ, or you surrender to chaos.” Why?
2. Where are you stepping outside the boundaries?
3. How can you help your teammates stay inside the boundaries?
Extra Reading: Psalm 119:97-105; Romans 15:4
Lord, thank You for loving me so much that You give me boundaries. Help me to live inside them. I understand that You are not a God of chaos but a God of order, and You give me all I need to be equipped to live for You. Thank You! Amen.