Healthy boundaries are like the doors of your soul. They keep people out or let people in. So what will people find when they come in? They will find everything you value (good and bad). The choice is always yours. However, have you ever just opened up the door of your house and said, come on in without being invited? I don't think so. That would be a violation of your trust and security. But we do it all the time with ourselves. We don't often share with others what we value the most. Or we don't even really know what our values are, whether or not they serve us or don't. Just because you value something doesn't always make it right. I had an aunt once who valued smoking like a chimney; however, she was always clear to NOT cross her (boundary) by criticizing her about her cigarette smoking!! Boundaries serve a valuable lesson of whether we feel violated or not. They teach us to love and respect ourselves, let alone others. Here are a few recommended boundaries: Self-care, Trust, Relationships, Protection/Security, and Guidance/Awareness.
Nugget #1: Guidance/Awareness - when we seek God, the Holy Spirit and the Bible to help us discern healthy boundaries can serve us by aligning our values with God's values (Matt 7:12).
Nugget #2: Self-Care - When we recognize self-care is important we acknowledge God and Jesus set the example of rest, prayer, meditation and Sabbath to respect our bodies, the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20).
Nugget #3: Trust/Respect - Practicing forgiveness through trust can exercise biblical boundaries that demonstrates God's mercy on others as God showed us mercy and forgiveness.
Nugget #4: Protection/Security - Ensuring we have healthy boundaries protects against harm, physical, spiritual, mental and emotional. Love does not harm others (Rom 13:10).
Healthy boundaries create a balance of love, respect, forgiveness, and wisdom to align with God's values of the Fruits of the Spirit in order to maintain healthy meaningful relationships and personal well-being and wholeness.