Chapter Five

Boundaries, Obedience, and the Narrow Path

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in walking with Jesus, it’s this:

Obedience will cost you comfort.
And boundaries, real, Spirit-led boundaries, are part of that obedience.

Not the kind of boundaries that keep people out because of fear, bitterness, or pride.
But the kind that guard the holiness God is cultivating within me.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  (Proverbs 4:23)

For too long, I thought that “being like Jesus” meant being endlessly available to anyone who needed me, even when they drained me, disrespected me, or led me into compromise.

I confused self-sacrifice with spiritual immaturity.

But Jesus was not afraid to withdraw.
He was not afraid to say no.
He was not afraid to walk away from a crowd when the Father didn’t call Him to engage.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  (Luke 5:16)

If the Son of God practiced healthy separation to stay aligned with the Father’s will, what makes me think I don’t need to?

Boundaries are not rejection.
They are protection.
Not to isolate me, but to insulate the call of God from contamination and distraction.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  (Matthew 7:13–14)

The narrow path isn’t just about morality.
It’s about focus.

It’s about walking with eyes fixed on Jesus, even if that means walking past people who want me to stop, explain myself, please them, or meet their demands.

There are times God will call me to be present, to listen, to give.
But there are other times He will say: “Not now.”
And I must learn to obey His whisper, not their pressure.

I don’t owe anyone unlimited access to what God is still healing in me.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”  (Matthew 7:6)

That’s not cruelty.
That’s wisdom.

I’ve been trampled before, because I offered what was holy to those who didn’t value it.
And I did it because I wanted peace.

But peace without boundaries is usually just prolonged destruction.

Real peace doesn’t come from pleasing people.
It comes from obeying the voice of God, even when it disappoints others.

You don’t have to feel guilty for setting boundaries.

Some people will say you’ve changed.
Some will accuse you of being selfish.
Some will try to manipulate you with guilt, religion, or emotional control.

But ask yourself:
Am I following Jesus, or just trying to avoid conflict?

It’s okay to love someone from a distance.
It’s okay to step back in order to stay aligned.
It’s okay to say “no more access” when someone continually violates the grace God has given you.

Jesus walked the narrow road.
And if I want to walk with Him, I must walk it too.

Lord,

You know how deeply I desire peace.
You also know how easily I’ve sacrificed truth to keep the peace.

Forgive me for the times I’ve said “yes” to people when You were calling me to say “no.”
Forgive me for confusing people-pleasing with love.

I ask You now:
Teach me how to guard what’s holy.
Teach me how to protect what You’ve planted.
Teach me how to walk the narrow path, even if I have to walk it alone.

Let my boundaries be led by Your Spirit, not by my wounds.
And let my “yes” and my “no” always align with Your will.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.