In this episode of the Weekday Podcast, Pastor Bobby discusses the importance of setting sacred boundaries in life. He emphasizes that boundaries are not about shutting people out but rather about creating healthy limits that enable us to love and serve others effectively. Using examples from Jesus’ life, he highlights how even Christ set boundaries—whether by withdrawing for prayer, limiting his time with certain people, or choosing not to engage in unhelpful discussions. Bobby compares boundaries to riverbanks, which provide direction and purpose, and encourages listeners to evaluate their boundaries in the areas of time, emotional energy, and access. He reminds us that saying no to some things allows us to say yes to what matters most.
Well, hey, friends, welcome back to another edition of the Weekday podcast. This is Bobby. As always, we're so glad you're here today, man. If you find these helpful, we'd love for you to consider sharing them, commenting on them, just spreading the word so that we can help more people.
Well, today I want to talk about sacred boundaries. Proverbs 4:23 says, Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Now, when we think about boundaries, boundaries aren't actually unloving. They're not about walls. They're about building bridges. And I think the big reminder for me is that even Jesus had boundaries. Jesus didn't heal every sick person. He didn't answer every question. He didn't go to every place. And so when you think about boundaries, there aren't walls to keep people out. They're more like fences with gates that define what's yours to manage and what is yours to protect. And when you don't have healthy boundaries, what's at risk is becoming resentful, overworked, and emotionally drained, making it impossible to love others.
Well, now, what I found is that a lot of people around things of faith struggle with boundaries because they confuse them with being unloved or maybe even feeling selfish. But think about how Jesus modeled boundaries. If you look at Luke 5:16, he regularly withdrew from the crowd so that he could pray. Or when you think about Matthew 21, sometimes he chose not to answer questions that were designed to trap him. In Mark 3, you see that he limited time with his own family when there was ministry to be done. Jesus understood that. That having boundaries actually enhances ability to love and to serve others effectively.
And so I want you to think about boundaries this way: Think about them like the banks of a river. Without banks, a river becomes a meaningless swamp. The banks actually give the river direction, purpose, and power. And in a similar way, boundaries give our lives and our relationships clarity and strength. They help us to steward our limited resources like time, energy, and attention in ways that honor God and actually serve other people best. Healthy boundaries. They require us to know our limits and to respect them.
This might mean learning to say no to good things so that we can say yes to the best things. It might mean setting aside regular time for rest and renewal. Even when there's things that are demanding our attention, it might mean limiting access to toxic relationships that drain our spiritual and emotional resources.
So today I want to encourage you evaluate your current boundaries and the three areas I want you to focus on is time, emotional energy, and access. Where do you need to establish healthier limits? And remember, saying no to some things allows you to say yes to what matters most.
And hey, if you find this content helpful, I want to encourage you to go find our sister podcast, the Positive Talk Podcast where Pastor Chuck and Julie Homrich sat down and they talked about this and the idea of saying no. It's super helpful. I know it'll encourage you. Have a great day and we'll see you back here soon.
