193co-laborer with God in the community of humanity. By giving
to others we find true fulfillment.
The New Testament teaches that jobs offer more than tem-
poral fulfillment and rewards on earth. Work is the place to
develop our character in preparation for the work that we will
do forever. With that in mind, let’s look at how setting bound-
aries in the workplace can help us to grow spiritually.
Problems in the Workplace
A lack of boundaries creates problems in the workplace. In
consulting for corporations, I have seen lack of boundaries as the
major problem in many management squabbles. If people took
responsibility for their own work and set clear limits, most of the
problems for which I get consulted would not exist.
Let’s see how applying boundaries can solve some common
problems in the workplace.
Problem #1: Getting Saddled with Another Person’s
Responsibilities
Susie is an administrative assistant in a small company that
plans training sessions for industry. She’s responsible for book-
ing the training sessions and managing the speakers’ schedules.
A co-worker, Jack, is responsible for the training facilities. He
takes the materials to the site, sets up the equipment, and orders
the food. Together, Susie and Jack make the events happen.
After a few months of really liking her work, Susie began to
lose energy. Eventually, her friend and co-worker, Lynda, asked
her what was wrong. Susie couldn’t put her finger on the prob-
lem at first. Then she realized: The problem was Jack!
Jack had been asking Susie to “pick this up for me while
you’re out,” or “please bring this box of materials to the work-
shop.” Slowly, Jack was shifting his responsibilities onto Susie.
“You have to stop doing Jack’s work,” Lynda told Susie. “Just
do your own work and don’t worry about him.”
Boundaries and Work