Jesus and My Therapist Agree: I Needed Boundaries

I used to think “turn the other cheek” and “unconditional love” meant “tolerate bad behavior.” I thought grace meant letting people get away with things that drained me. But as it turns out, Jesus and my therapist are actually on the same page: boundaries are holy.

Boundaries aren’t barriers; they’re sacred limits. Even Jesus slipped away from the crowd. He didn’t heal everybody. He withdrew to rest, to pray, to breathe. And yet, so many of us wear ourselves out trying to be available to everyone all the time, calling it love when it’s really people-pleasing cloaked in spirituality.

My therapist calls it “emotional overextension.” Scripture calls it “pouring from an empty cup.” Both mean the same thing…you cannot give what you do not have.

Sometimes setting a boundary means disappointing someone else, but saving yourself. Sometimes it means choosing rest over responsibility. Sometimes it’s saying, “That’s not my assignment.”

Grace is not weakness. Boundaries are not selfish. They’re both forms of stewardship…over your energy, your peace, and your purpose.

So yes, Jesus and my therapist agree: I needed boundaries. And I bet you do too.