guardrails

Guardrails are placed in areas of danger—along bridges, stairways, cliffs, and winding roads. Most of the time, we do not even notice them. But when we do, it is often because they have kept us from disaster. A scraped bumper is better than a totaled car. A small dent is better than a fatal fall. Guardrails are there to preserve your life.

Often, it is parents who establish the first guardrails. They may seem unnecessary, but they have been placed there with love, experience, and as a precaution. These are not just rules but moral principles meant to protect your heart, mind, and future.

Just as highways and hiking trails have boundaries, our spiritual lives need them too. God, in His wisdom, designed a system of principles and standards to keep us from straying into dangerous areas. These spiritual guardrails are found in His Word—the Bible. Ignoring or stepping over these guardrails can lead to spiritual destruction.

Guardrails are placed before the danger begins. That means you might bump into them and feel restricted—but you are still safe. Do not wait until you are sliding over the edge to wish you had respected those boundaries. Guardrails are not about controlling you—they are for your protection. God's boundaries are placed with love, wisdom, and divine providence. Respect them, and let them guide you safely through life. It is so important to "keep" (respect and protect) the guardrails of your spiritual heart, "for out of it are the issues of life."

—Sister  Sheri Strelecky

SPIRITUAL GUARDRAILS: a system designed to keep you from straying into dangerous areas.