Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Today's Passage: Genesis 31

My brother and I are six years apart so we really didn't fight all that often. When we did, however, it was pretty bad...and I pretty much always started it (by the way, I'm the older one). The worst was when we were riding in the car. There was, of course, an imaginary line down the middle of the backseat which we were never to cross. I just couldn't help myself though! I'd wait until he was looking the other way, then I'd put my finger up by his face and call his name. He'd turn and get poked right in the cheek. Oh man, it was great.

Well, that is what the end of Genesis 31 reminds me of. Laban and Jacob had been at each other for twenty years! Each had played the deceiver and the "deceive-e". It had gotten so bad that Jacob had to flee from Laban's household. Laban chased him down in the hill country, probably intending to cause Jacob much harm, but God had other plans.

Finally, after all these years, the relatives were able to find peace once they did three things: submitted to God's authority, communicated in love, and set some healthy boundaries...literally (verses 44-55). A stone pillar and a heap of rocks served as a witness and a boundary between Laban and Jacob. At first this seems a bit silly to me, almost childish (remember the backseat?), but then I wondered how my relationships would improve if I did all three of these things in every relationship. Most of the time, I want to handle a situation the way that comes naturally to me. I forget to consult God and submit to his authority, I often fail to realize a lack of communication until a problem has already arisen, and I don't even think about setting boundaries until I feel like a line has been crossed. After reading today's passage, however, I have decided to be more intentional about these practices in order to truly let God be at the center of my relationships.