THE GIFT OF BOUNDARIES

 JULY 27, 2022

Proverbs 25:17

17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

Proverbs 27:14

14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.


One common attribute that many people associate with true friendship is familiarity. We imagine friends as people who know the rhythms of other people’s lives and are comfortable being themselves around each other. Sincerity and honesty are keys to friendship. Feeling like you need to pretend around someone is never a recipe for growing a friendship. On the other hand, there is a form of familiarity that is actually a kind of disrespect. True friends understand what the other person needs to be healthy and gives them room when they need it.



Look at what Proverbs 25:17 says, “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—too much of you, and they will hate you. This is about having healthy boundaries. We sometimes use words like “extrovert” and “introvert” to discuss the ways which we all have differing degrees of need when it comes to social interaction. This proverb reminds us that a friend focuses on giving what the other person needs rather than seeking what they themselves want.

Our second verse today, Proverbs 27:14 says, "If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse." This is another proverb about the respect friends give each other. Even a blessing can become a curse when it is offered at the wrong time. This proverb mentions waking a person early, but it could also mean interrupting his work or other ways in which we intrude on people. It might be a good thing we are intruding with, but ultimately it will be seen as an intrusion and not a blessing. A true friend knows when he can connect with a friend and when he needs to give that individual some space.

I believe what these proverbs leave us with is that a Friend is Conscientious and desires more than any thing what is best for the other person. This is more important than their own wants. That takes a wise and skillful person to grow to that life perspective in relationships.

REVIEW 

BIBLICAL FRIENDSHIP in PROVERBS

A Friend Changes You

A Friend Cares

A Friend Cuts Slack

A Friend Counsels, Corrects, and Confronts

A Friend is Conscientious