Enoughनमूना

Have you ever been part of a group assigned to work on a school project, and you ended up doing the majority of the work? It can be so frustrating when other people don't pull their own weight — it causes rifts in relationships and makes us hesitant to trust people in the future.

Do we shut down and shut other people out? Do we decide to keep quiet in the future and just do all the work whenever we're in a group? Or . . . do we work hard to communicate clear expectations in the future?

As Jesus followers, we are called to be kind and serve others — but that doesn't mean we become doormats and let people walk all over us. We need to set healthy boundaries for ourselves and others. Setting boundaries can feel strange at first because it may cause other people to be upset with us. It actually protects us from being taken advantage of and empowers others to make healthy choices for themselves.

For example, if one of your friends constantly relies on you to complete their portion of a school project, they aren't learning the material. The kind thing isn't for you to cover for them. The kindest thing is for you to create a boundary and decide not to do their work so that they learn the material and also establish a strong work ethic.

Today's Scripture reminds us that "we work hard with our own hands." We can't do the work for others, but we can encourage them as they grow and learn at their own pace and in their own way.