Beyond Borders

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines a border as, “a line of separation; the edge or boundary of something.” During my ministry, I have met many people who have confined themselves to certain borders. For some, it is the relational borders of an unhealthy relationship. For others, it is the confining borders of fear. Perhaps the hardest to break are the emotional borders of a comfort zone. And for Christ followers, I have seen countless people confined within the spiritual borders of simply attending church and going through the motions of religion without ever experiencing the abundant life that a relationship with Christ should bring.

The reality is, there are more than 2 billion people on this planet who follow Jesus today because Christianity is a faith intended to be lived beyond borders. The spreading of Christianity can be traced back to the final words that Jesus spoke on this earth which are recorded in Acts 1:8. He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” In this one statement, Jesus made it clear to His followers that He did not come out of the tomb of death just to be kept within the borders of their own personal experiences or comfort zones.

The same is true for us today. Jesus did not rise from the dead to be confined within the four walls of our church buildings. The Good News of His death and resurrection should be shared with everybody, everywhere. The disciple’s life is a life beyond borders.

Dear Lord, how grateful I am that you have no borders and that you can't be put in a box. Help my faith to extend beyond the borders I've tried to put around it, and give me the courage to go wherever it is you call me to. Amen.