Throughout the Gospels, there are many times that Jesus would go off to pray, and even a taking a nap on a boat. I am also reminded of the time that Jesus traveled in a way that would allow him to be away from the crowds for a moment. Jesus, is all about love. Jesus takes all the opportunities to share, show and teach love. So if even Jesus, the greatest love of all, sets healthy boundaries; maybe we should set them as well.
Whether we mean to or not, it seems that as a society we have given the word “no” a lot of negativity. But, I really believe that the life of Jesus is contrary to our current cultural views of the word “no”. We are showing love when we say to no to someone who is trying to mis-use us. We are showing love to others and ourselves we say to “no” to overworking ourselves into depression.
It is also very loving and healthy to set boundaries around who has power in our lives. If someone is adding negativity to your life, you do not need to force yourself to be with them or spend time with them. This may feel harsh, but this is love. Letting others know that you are worthy of love and not being used is indeed love.
There are so many ways to set loving boundaries. We all have ones we are good at and ones we can work on. What boundaries and can you lovingly set and keep?
Jay Kiel
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