When we cross the boundary...

Whoah I just read something so profound that I am writing a second post right after I finished the first one. 

The following is a quote from Neil Anderson, The Bondage Breaker. Great book, by the way. Very interesting perspectives. 

"The following statements reveal the sinful results in a number of areas where we are tempted to take the good things that God created beyond the boundary of God's will: 

- cautiousness becomes unbelief

- self-care becomes selfishness

- self-respect becomes conceit

- communication becomes gossip

- positiveness becomes insensitivity

- lovingkindness becomes overprotection

- judgement becomes criticism

- conscientiousness becomes perfectionism

- self-protection becomes dishonesty

- carefulness becomes fear " 

(... that's not all of it)  

The actions on the left are all God-intended and there is nothing wrong with doing these things. However, when we try to put ourselves before either God or other people, we cross the boundary to the actions on the right. Just like what was said in the Heart Motives sermons, when we allocate all our resources to glorify ourselves instead of glorifying God, we sin. 

I JUST SAW A GROUNDHOG PASSED BY OUR BACKYARD THROUGH MY WINDOW!  Random animals have been showing up around the house ever since the mouse incident - a red robin is building a nest on the tree right outside my window, a deer stared at me through my other window few days ago, and then a groundhog showed up!! OH, and the possum in the trash can last winter..  This is so exciting!! Maybe I'll get to see a hedgehog some day!! (fyi, I grew up in a city where you can only find flowers if someone plant them intentionally. In a pot.)  

Okay, my train of thought is interrupted..