But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Luke 5:15-16

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend define boundaries as the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual property lines that help us distinguish what our responsibility is and isn’t. Creating boundaries are critical to our emotional health as they define who we are, our values, our responsibility, and more.

Without boundaries, we burn out, giving all that we don’t have to give to others. Without boundaries, our values get washed away and we lose ourselves. Yet, many Christians believe this lack of boundaries is key to living like Jesus.

We know it is more “blessed to give than to receive.” And we see Jesus living a life of service, loving and blessing the least of these. This does not mean that Jesus did not have boundaries, however. In this week’s devotional plan, we’ll walk you through the examples of Jesus setting clear and loving boundaries that helped Him serve His mission here on Earth. As we learn from the example of Jesus, may we too find the courage to serve our mission well by setting loving boundaries.

The multitudes were coming together, but he was engaged in retirement and prayer, so that he was inaccessible. 

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The first way that Jesus set boundaries was by prioritizing His needs. When we lack boundaries, we give ourselves to everything, not taking proper care of ourselves. Though Jesus had an important mission to accomplish on Earth, He still took time to rest and care for His needs. Luke 5:16 says Jesus frequently withdrew from the crowds so He could go pray. Just before He was betrayed, Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. He took the time to have dinner with His friends (Matthew 26:18-20). These are examples of Jesus using boundaries to protect His values and mission. Jesus knew what His mission was, and His boundaries helped Him stay focused on His mission.

We see a clear example of this in Mark 1:38. In this verse, Jesus says, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” His boundaries here helped Him protect His values and mission. He could’ve stayed preaching where He was. He could’ve not had dinner with the disciples. He could’ve not withdrawn for time with His Father. But these boundaries were set in place to help Him accomplish His mission.

Unlike Jesus, our lives have such little margin today. We are addicted to the idea of more. We have fallen for one of the enemy’s greatest lies: that more activity, more roles, more commitments, and more responsibility equals more impact. Here, Jesus offers a better way. In order to do our most exceptional work and live our most engaged lives, we need to get in the habit of creating boundaries around our time, saying “no” to the relentless demands that we do more faster. We need to more closely align our lives with the example of Jesus, whose model encourages us to say “no” far more often for our own good, for the glory of God, and for the good of others.

“Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom.

dR. hENRY cLOUD