In the theater of life, there are some people that are worthy of front row seats and backstage passes, some who end up far away in the balcony and some that don’t even deserve to get past the parking lot. In our passage today, God is tells the Israelites to establish some boundaries and drive out the inhabitants of the land. Numbers 33:55 says "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them." God knew that if these people were allowed to remain, they will do nothing but cause trouble. We already saw this happen with the Midian women back in chapter 25.
This passage reminds me that we, as Christians, should definitely be careful as to who we let into our lives. It’s a slippery slope when we allow people who are non believers to be a big part of our lives. Check out these two verses:
2 Corinthians 6:14 - “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
Many of the readers of this blog are single and searching for a mate and we would do well to remember and apply these two verses. I encourage you to search for someone who is walking a path of faith that is similar to your own. Look for evidence of their faith in their daily walk. Don’t tie yourself to someone who is on a completely different level in the hopes that you will pull him or her up to your level. It’s much easier to be pulled down. You’re better off introducing that person to a few mentors (preferably of the same gender) and praying for them.
Of course this goes much deeper than just who you end up marrying. We are attacked by what we allow into our lives in the areas of the friendships and the media and the general culture of our society as well. We have to be careful as to what we allow into our lives or next thing you know we will be conformed to this world instead of transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).
If there is someone in your life who is influencing you negatively and you need to move them to the balcony or parking lot of your life, here are a few key principles for setting boundaries, from Kim Avery’s website has to say at http://www.lifecoachingforchristianwomen.com/
Take responsibility for your own actions – Rarely is the problem the fault of only one person. If you own your part of the problem, the other person will be more likely to accept your boundaries.
Invite them to change – The first step in confronting someone should never be a limit, but always an invitation to change.
Warn them – If you just set limits out of the blue, this person may feel ambushed and become angry at you. A warning, on the other hand, gives her a choice.
Be patient – A warning, if not accompanied with patience, is an ultimatum.
Follow through with consequences – Remember that consequences have nothing to do with anger, revenge, or punishment. They are there to protect you and to help this person deal with the reality of her actions.
Practice continual forgiveness – Don’t give negative attitudes a chance to grow – practice forgiveness day by day.
This week, I encourage you all to take inventory of whom and what you are allowing to enter into the theater of your life. Whether it’s a person, a tv show, or a website, if it’s conforming your mind to the beliefs of this world, it’s time to remove it from your life. Ask God to reveal these negative influences and show you a path for sending them to the balcony or parking lot of your life! Please feel free to share your experiences on the blog if God has shown you how to remove unhealthy influences from your life.
Today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe
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