Out of Bounds

Sports have boundaries for a reason!

Many sports such as football, basketball, and soccer play on a rectangular field with clearly marked boundaries that signify the areas that are in bounds and out of bounds for the field of play. And there are rules and penalties to govern the game when the ball is moved out of bounds.

A baseball hit out of bounds is ruled a foul ball and the batter must bat again. A football thrown out of bounds is ruled an incomplete pass. A basketball or soccer ball that is ruled out of bounds is awarded possession to the other team. A golf ball struck out of bounds is awarded a penalty stroke.

In most sports the boundary line itself is considered to be out of bounds. For instance, a football player who makes a catch with one foot in bounds and one foot on the boundary line is considered to be out of bounds.

However, in soccer the player can still kick the ball that is rolling or setting still on the boundary line. The position the person is in is irrelevant to the position of the ball as long as the ball does not cross the boundary line.

And here’s what I find interesting. No one argues the essence of the boundary. Fans aren’t expecting players to have a free-for-all episode of Jerry Springer for sports where the receiver goes to the 5th row of the arena to catch a pass from the quarterback. No basketball player is standing on the cat walk high above the court waiting on a pass from their teammate to be included in some epic battle of Dude Perfect trick shots.

Yet in life it seems we want make the boundaries more blurry than they’re intended to be. We begin to change the rules and limitations of acceptable behavior in our field of play. In other words, it’s relative to our situation and set of circumstances.

Most people will admit that lying, cheating, stealing, and coveting are all wrong. But when pressured to admit their own decision making mistakes in the area of their finances, business practices, and relationships they begin to justify their actions as being unique and often necessary.

A man lying to make a business deal. A couple cheating on their taxes. A spouse walking away from a covenantal marriage to pursue another relationship. People constantly placing pressure on themselves to measure up to the fluctuating standard of some coveted Instragram fairytale story.

And yet those same people have a million and one reasons for why it was acceptable for their situation when months earlier they were convinced it was wrong for someone else.

It seems we learn these tendencies at a very early age. I don’t recall my parents teaching me how to lie. Shaking my head “no” when asked as a toddler if I made some mess seemed to be an innate ability to avoid the consequence of an oncoming spanking (yes, my parents believed in corporal punishment—thank you mom & dad).

Even as a teen I would indulge myself to pretend that I was somebody else with better talent, better grades, better clothes, better hair, a better looking girlfriend. I tried to fit in with the Nike swoosh cut into the back of my hair. And it worked for about a week. But then some new fad came along and I was stuck behind the glamour of that new trend.

Our ‘sins’ are sometimes a little more polished as an adult. Sometimes as a dad I abdicate my parental responsibilities with my son out of pride and selfishness. As an employee in the public square I remain silent when I should speak up or lean in and listen when I should walk away. Perhaps like many guys, I think thoughts that may objectify a woman or whisper insults in my own head that I wish I could say to guys that strike me as being losers.

And sometimes with my own sins I have a hard time identifying the out of bounds line. I have to ask myself, ‘was that out of line or out of step with who I claim to be as a Christian?”

Stepping out of bounds in our decision-making can affect our character and our reputation. Our character is who we know ourselves to be, and our reputation is who those around us know us to be. So our decision to stay in bounds or step out of bounds with our lives navigates the relationships we have with our Maker, ourselves, and those within our realm of influence.

Here are several things that happen when we step out of bounds:

1. Stepping out of bounds briefly pauses the game. The field of play hits a momentary pause in the game. Sometimes the pause is so brief that we continue as if nothing every happened. However, should we hear the proverbial whistle blow we would do well to stop and press the reset button before we prepare for the next play.
2. Stepping out of bounds may necessitate instant replay. Walking on the fringes of right and wrong can sometimes be blurry. And it may seem unclear if we’re on the right side of the line with our actions. A replay of the choices we’re making isn’t meant to shame us or place a guilt trip on us that’s too heavy to handle. It may actually give those around us an opportunity to see the action for what it is and help hold us accountable moving forward.
3. Stepping out of bounds can create a momentum shift. Momentum can be gained or lost by the penalty or consequences of our behavior to act in line or out of line of what’s right and best for our lives. Driving the ball of our lives in the right direction can easily set us back and give the opposition some momentum to forbid our attempts to gain control of our circumstances. And with every act of stepping out of bounds it becomes more difficult to overcome the negative momentum that feels like a freight train wreaking havoc in our lives.
4. Stepping out of bounds may give the enemy control. Multiple infractions to stay in bounds may force a turnover that allows the enemy the opportunity to control and manipulate the circumstances in our lives.
5. Stepping out of bounds allows for substitutions. Repeated behaviors that constantly fight the urge to play the game outside the boundary lines are constantly being paused to get our attention and make substitutions to the choices that we’ve been making. God is willing to do whatever is necessary to get our attention. And not just make adjustments to our lives but to make wholesale changes replacing this old dark damaged heart for a new one that will replicate the life of Christ in us.

I remember hearing this statement several years ago and I think about it often. “God’s will is not a target to be hit but a life to be lived.” In other words, I’m not just aiming for a bullseye whereby missing the middle of the target makes me a total failure. God has granted us permission to live within the boundary of a bountiful life.

Remember the Garden of Eden. He gave Adam and Eve permission to enjoy everything in the garden but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He placed limitations and boundaries in their lives for their ultimate joy. But He also gave them freedom to enjoy His good creation.

God’s boundary for our lives is paved with permanent truth and grace. His word is truth. And His word is trustworthy. Even in the weak moments when we turn away His word is full of grace. And He’s willing to revive what’s been lost in our separating ourselves from Him. Don’t sabotage your freedom by stepping out of bounds to attain something that can never truly satisfy or sustain the life you’re called to live.