One of the hardest things, especially for women and/or mothers, is the guilt that accompanies making choices for our own well-being, choices that feel selfish. We are taught as Christians that we ought to make decisions that are Christ-like, loving, and unselfish. And we assume that means that the greatest show of love is self-sacrifice, like Jesus.
One of the best, and most surprising, parts of my journey toward better boundaries is that in giving up responsibility and in trying less hard at life in general, I am actually better able to give witness to my faith. I’m beginning to understand what God meant when he said to Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). There is power precisely in being imperfect, and freely admitting it. When I know and share my own struggles, it gives others permission to talk about theirs. When I confess my need for a force larger than myself to come and bail me out, it leaves an opening for God to show herself as the one most able to do just that.
This message is excerpted from “The faithfulness of boundaries” by Collette Broady Grund in the November 2022 Café online magazine.
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