Stories: Name Your Boundaries

Moriah Peters was young, but she had already named one of her boundaries. She pledged to save her first kiss for her wedding day. Keeping this commitment would be more difficult and cost her more than she could have imagined.

At 16, Moriah auditioned for American Idol. After several months of success, she appeared before the celebrity judges, one level just before being on the show. They praised her look and her moving voice, but had a few questions. One judge noticed she led a girl’s Bible study every week. Another noticed she was saving her first kiss for her wedding day. They dismissed her, adding, “Go out there and have some life experience. Kiss a boy.”

Confused and disheartened, Moriah couldn’t understand why God would take her so far to only meet disappointment. But, as she left the building, a stranger approached her and said they had overheard her song and testimony and wanted to introduce her to someone they knew in the music industry.

Moriah would sign with a record label, sign her manager, and not long after, would meet her future husband, Joel Smallbone. Joel is one of the founding brothers of the successful Christian band, For King & Country.

Joel and Moriah were married in 2013, and yes, they shared their first kiss on their wedding day.

Are you willing to name your boundaries?

Current culture will try to convince us that boundaries are outdated. Although, with mental health concerns on the rise, establishing boundaries is becoming a priority. Many times we can feel like we have to reconsider, manipulate, or force situations to get the outcome we desire. We feel pressured by others to change our minds, and many times that pressure comes out of their selfish desires or our own.

One thing that stood out to me in Moriah’s story is she refused to give in. She literally had to walk away, close that door, in order for God to reveal His better plan for her life. That takes an enormous leap of faith, and she is the first to admit, it was difficult. Watch her videos here.

I spent a year writing about self-care and its parallels with Biblical teaching. Boundaries are not selfish, but essential for your mental health. You are God’s masterpiece. Allow Him to instill in you the confidence to establish healthy boundaries, stick with them, and live a life full of freedom, peace, and love in Him!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2