The Line in the Sand

Do you remember the defining moment when you crossed the line from being a child to becoming an adult? Or maybe you were running a race, literally or figuratively, and finally crossed the finish line? What about the time you knew it would be best to hold your tongue but stepped across to the other side where you told it like it was and let them have what they deserved?

A straight line is one of the simplest drawings one can make, and may be used as a divider between seasons in a life, waiting patiently or diving head first, or used to mark the finish line. But place it in the middle between right and wrong and the simple line becomes a powerful boundary.

According to the idiom dictionary, drawing a line in the sand implies:

• creating or declaring an artificial boundary that crossing it will cause trouble
• saying a particular idea or activity will not be supported or accepted
• establishing a limit beyond which things will be unacceptable
  

When we draw a line in the sand between what we know is right and what we know is wrong, the enemy will say "I dare you to cross that line...you know that you are not strong enough to resist this temptation. You know you want it. It's right here...just on the other side. You don't even have to come completely across...just put one foot over and lean forward a bit...no harm done"...

So are we totally committed to Jesus or are we just dancing back and forth on that line? Have we taken up the Sword of the Spirit and the Shield of Faith for battle or are we trying to favor both sides of the line? Have we decided if we are going to stand on the promises of God's word or are we simply noncommittal?

A very dear loved one once told me that his advice for living right was pretty simple...draw a line, never put one foot over that line, and you will never have to worry about the other foot.

Wise advice...

If I step over the line into that gray area, another line will appear a short way down the path and the temptation to step over again grows stronger. Each time I cross another line, it leads me farther and farther away from what I know is right.

One side of the line holds eternal life and the the other side means death. It is our choice...

so draw your line.