Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:11)
Real love doesn’t ignore sin and it doesn’t leave us unprotected. Real love wants God’s best for people and so it holds people accountable to the boundaries revealed in God’s Word. We see this in Christ who loved us, but did not ignore the sin in our lives. This world says that, for the sake of peace, you should just leave sin alone, and yet there is no such thing as peace without truth!
Unfortunately, most of us only establish boundaries after we develop bitterness and hurt. Almost no one puts up boundaries before they are hurt and broken by a relationship. What a tragedy! For the sake of the world’s version of love, we ignore the truth in our relationships. Then, because we are bitter, angry, and desperate, or want to get away from that person’s influence, we finally put up boundaries that are more about unforgiveness than grace. If we would have followed God’s truth from the beginning, God’s love would still be at work in our lives.
So, whether your relationship is following God’s Word or is drastically off course, start making simple everyday choices to establish God’s boundaries so that your relationships will head in His direction!