What are boundaries? Although boundaries are crucial for a healthy life, we do not often hear boundaries discussed. Essentially, boundaries help us stand strong in our devotion to God by letting the good in and keeping the bad out.
In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah is setting out to restore the walls of Jerusalem that had been destroyed some years earlier by an invading army. This was a big deal to Nehemiah because Jerusalem was the heart of worship for the Jews. Just like Jerusalem was the center of the Israelites worship, our heart is the center of our worship to God. As we follow Nehemiah through the process of rebuilding the walls, we can learn a few things about restoring and protecting our heart of worship.
Start by turning to God (Nehemiah 1-2)
In the first chapter of Nehemiah, we see Nehemiah praying before he makes his big decision to return to Jerusalem. Prayer is a big piece of our heart of worship. In Nehemiah’s prayer he praises God, confesses his sins, and asks for God’s blessing and protection. When we are turning to God, a great way to start is by praising God. Praise humbles us and reminds us who gives us our next breath. We must also let go of the sin that has been keeping us captive. One of the big lessons we learn from the Israelites is,
letting go of sin = freedom.
When we let go of sin, we are free to worship and protect our hearts. Third, Nehemiah asks for God’s blessing and provision. In every big decision we make, this is a good first step to take. We see in chapter two that God answers this prayer and provides everything Nehemiah needs.
Build your portion of the wall (Nehemiah 3)
In the third chapter of Nehemiah, the people work together side-by-side building the portion of the wall opposite their own house. When we start to learn about good boundaries, we are tempted to try to build boundaries for others. This never works. We can protect ourselves from the choices others make, but we cannot protect people from their own choices.
Don’t let your guard down (Nehemiah 4)
At this point, the Israelites are beginning to face some opposition. Their enemies mock them, try to confuse them, and threaten them. When we start setting boundaries, we will face some resistance. People may mock us for standing so strongly on our beliefs. If something or someone is causing confusion on whether or not we should stand strong or compromise our heart of worship, we need to defend ourselves. Do not let that person or thing inside your walls. Another opposition we may face is fear. What if we have to stand alone? What if we lose friends? What if we just keep falling back into sin? In response to the opposition they faced, the Israelites always kept their armor handy. As I grow, the more I appreciate our Christian armor discussed in Ephesians 6:13-18,
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
This armor is very lethal in our fight against evil. We also see the Israelites working together to keep guard. It is crucial for us to find trusted mentors who will help us keep watch.
Forgive (Nehemiah 5)
In Nehemiah 5, several of the Israelites were indebted to each other. Since they felt the need to pay off their debts, it kept them from doing their work. Holding an unforgiving heart against another will distract you from your own heart work. When we hold a grudge, we are waiting for the other person to fix the hurt we hold in our heart. Since the hurt is in our heart, it is in our boundary and is therefore our responsibility to fix. Not only do we distract ourselves from building, we may also discourage the other person from building their life around God.
We are not each others enemies. We are in this fight together.
Say “no” to inhibitors (Nehemiah 6)
Nehemiah is tempted twice to stop his work on the wall. The first time Sanballat, who is actively trying to intimidate the Israelites, wants to meet up. Nehemiah recognizes that Sanballat’s motive is to harm him. He firmly says “no.” Sadly, we will encounter people who cause us harm sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. It is not a move of judgement or hatred to say “no” to those people. When we say “no” to hurtful people, we are simply protecting our heart.
The second time Nehemiah is tempted to stop his work, the temptation is fear. Sanballat hires Shemaiah to try to get Nehemiah to hide. Again Nehemiah stands strong and says “no.” We should say “no” to anything tempting us to stop working for God’s kingdom.
Fight!
We learn from Nehemiah to not just protect but fight. We must fight to drive the hurt out of our hearts. When we choose to build strong boundaries, we fight for ourselves, and we fight for others as well. Nehemiah stood strong in what he believed. His strength gave others confidence to build the wall around Jerusalem. Our strength will encourage others to build their own boundaries and protect their heart of worship. Nehemiah 4:14b encourages,
Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.
May we always be the people who have strong boundaries and are willing to fight for what really matters.
Want to learn more about boundaries? This is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend!
The link to this book is an Amazon affiliate link. We use affiliate links because they help us keep this blog running without any additional costs to you.
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