80
Our Own Character Traits
Have you ever heard someone described as being that way
“from the womb”? Perhaps you were always active and con-
frontive, always exploring new horizons. Or maybe you liked to
be quiet and reflective “since forever.”
We contribute to our boundary issues by our own individual
character styles. For example, some people with a constitution-
ally greater amount of aggression deal with boundary problems
more confrontationally. And some with less aggression shy more
from boundaries.
Our Own Sinfulness
We also contribute to our own boundary development prob-
lems by our own depravity. Depravity is what we inherited from
Adam and Eve. It is our resistance to being creatures under
God, our resistance to humility. It’s a refusal to accept our posi-
tion, and a lust for being omnipotent and “in charge,” not need-
ing anyone and not accountable to anyone. Our depravity
enslaves us to the law of sin and death, from which only Christ
can save us (Rom. 8:2).
By now you should be gaining a clearer picture of what goes
into boundary problems and boundary development. It’s time
now to look at what the Bible says about how boundaries should
operate in our lives, and how they can be developed—all
through our lives.
Boundaries