Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. – Ephesians 4:15

Before I begin, I want to ask for grace as I share a truth God laid on my heart this morning. When I wrote Monday’s devotion, I shared the idea (the 3rd relationship truth that would be shared today) that “boundaries are biblical”… and in many ways, I believe there’s wisdom in creating space. Friends, my choice of words was not best there. As I sat with the Word this morning, I began to sense the Lord refining that idea in my heart.

The Bible doesn’t really teach us to prioritize our own comfort, protection, or preferences over others. In fact, it calls us to lay our lives down, to consider others more important than ourselves. Philippians 2:3–4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

That said, Scripture never condones abuse, harm, or manipulation either. It is not okay for anyone to hurt us. In that sense, it is okay and even necessary at times to establish boundaries. But those boundaries must be rooted in love, not self-preservation; and in prayer, not pride.

As followers of Christ, we are called to love persistently. Jesus teaches us to forgive, to go the extra mile, to serve one another in humility. But in the midst of this high calling, there’s a tension many of us wrestle with. How do we love well without enabling unhealthy behavior? How do we offer grace without compromising truth?

The answer isn’t simple, but it is deeply biblical: we are to love in both grace and truth.

John 1:14 tells us that Jesus came “full of grace and truth.” Not half of each, not alternating between the two. Jesus embodied both fully. And yet, even Jesus set boundaries. In Luke 4:28–30, when a crowd in His hometown turned on Him, He didn’t argue or beg for their understanding. He walked away.

There is wisdom in creating space. Boundaries should not be walls to shut others out, but gates that allow us to choose what we let in. Boundaries protect what is good and God-honoring, and they create room for healing and restoration to begin.

Love isn’t always soft. Sometimes, it says, “I care about you too much to keep pretending this is okay.” And love isn’t always distant, but love does hope, pray, and remain ready for reconciliation. We can create space without closing our hearts. We can step back without giving up.

This kind of love is hard. Leaning too far toward grace can lead to enabling. Leaning too far toward truth can feel cold and harsh. But when we depend on the Spirit to guide us, we can grow in the kind of love that reflects Jesus. That kind of love is persistent, wise, and anchored in both compassion and conviction.