Where's the Line?

Joanna Trollope was interviewed on TV recently about her new book.  She summed it up by saying that basically it was about family relationships and when support gives way to suffocation.  I have just read a blog that I follow that talks about when helping someone find God and grow in their spiritual life can so easily become a dependency on a person rather than freedom in God to be what He wants us to be.

This set me thinking about the invisible line that is so often crossed and when things change from what they were meant to be and become something completely different; when the positive becomes a negative.  As the line is invisible, it is difficult to tell when we have reached or crossed over that line.

At what point does being a friend become being a nuisance?
How much can we correct someone before it becomes nagging, harassment or bullying?
When does strong ruling become dictatorship?
How does an interest so easily become an obsession or addiction?
To have awareness in a situation can so easily turn into fear.
This can make a natural and healthy concern turn into worry or panic.
What is the difference between quirkiness and madness?

And so we could go on finding other examples.  It seems almost like a tug-of-war between the emotions and logical reasoning.  It would be so much simpler if we had clear cut lines so we could see exactly how far to go and when we are in danger.  The trouble is we don't always realise until we are over the invisible line.  On the other hand life would be more like being a robot without the same level of freedom of choice that God wants us to have.  We wouldn't learn the difference between one and the other - we only need to follow and obey the rules.  But the New Testament tells us that we are no longer under the law but under grace - it is the grace of God that sets us free!

Ah!  questions, questions.  Just musing!