Love as a Boundary (Part Two)

Last week, we started on the topic of love as a boundary. If you missed it or need a refresher, you can click right here to read Love as a Boundary (Part One). 

I am inspired by the story of Daniel before, during, and after he's thrown into the lion's den. Daniel was surrounded by jealous people who really just wanted to destroy his reputation. They searched for anything they could find to prove he wasn't who he seemed to be. But because of who he was, they came up with nothing. As they searched, Daniel chose humility, kindness. Get this, Daniel had the heart of the king, so he really could have went whining. Nevertheless, he persisted...in love. Since they couldn't find anything to accuse Daniel of, they decided to attack what was most important to him, his time with the god, his prayer time. They convinced the king that the only one anyone should be honoring was the king himself, not knowing that this would set his dear friend up for disaster. 

But Daniel stuck to his values, not to "show them" or to prove a point, but in humility and loyalty to the god he loved. He kept his mind on his own business. He kept the position of his heart cleaned up. Rather than stewing, he kept true to what he believed for the right reasons. The jealous folks were thrilled. They finally found a way to get rid of Daniel forever. So Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. Can we take a minute and talk about how terrifying this would be? We aren't talking about cute lions who are well-fed at the zoo. We're talking about famished lions who are starved and used as a tool of violence with the intention of death. 

So here's Daniel, now in the middle of starving lions and Daniel keeps his wits. He stays in love. He still after all that's been done to him chooses to respond from a place of love. 

I believe that the boundary around him that brought peace and serenity to ravenous lions, that brought safety, and kept Daniel from harm was the boundary of love. Yes, I believe it was God's love. God is love. So when we're responding out of love, we're responding out of God. That's kind of far out. 

But I believe that the decisions Daniel made to choose love time and again, gave God the freedom to love. I believe love ignited the spirit of God of protection and of peace, and he was kept safe. And get this, the next morning the king raced to the den of lions to see if Daniel's god had kept him safe. (He never wanted this to happen in the first place, but he had to be true to his decree.) Do you know what the first thing Daniel said was? Long live the king. Can you imagine? You were supposed to be my friend, king! How could you do this? Looks like my god is more powerful than you! I could think of a million different responses that might want to come out of me first when I was sent into a pit to be eaten, but the first thing out of Daniel's mouth is honor. There's a lot going on in those four little words. They mean I honor your position. You're doing right in this kingdom. You're making good choices. I want you to be in that position. May you reign for a long, long time. That response blows my mind. Oh, to operate in the kind of love toward people. 

I believe that when we choose to respond from a place of love, it keeps us in His boundary and no harm can come, great miracles can happen, and the spirit of God is free to do whatever needs to be done to keep you on the path He has for you. So I'm challenging us to start seeing love as a boundary around us, that we choose to make intentional decisions to not only stay in it but refuse to let anything else in. 

Photo Story: This was taken by my sweet cousin, Halley, on the Branson Showboat for our Pop's 75th birthday celebration. It was a weekend filled with lots of love and laughter. There is nothing greater than being together with family. Family is a great picture of love and loyalty. We choose to fight for one another no matter what has been said or done. We choose one another time and again. There is no greater love in my life than that of the unconditional love of family. Speaking of Halley, if you love fashion and fun photos, you should check out her latest project on Instagram: @halleyhollis

x Keely