Yes Or No

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. ” –  2 Corinthians 1:20

“Yes” and “no” are often one of the first words that we learn when we are small children. And once we learn them, we use these two words probably more often than any other word during the day. That is because during the course of the day, we make countless decisions resulting from a simple “yes” or “no.” Yes, I will get up and get ready for work, or no, I want to sleep a while longer. Yes, let’s go get a salad for lunch or no, I prefer a burger. We make a lot of choices in a day.

To invest our time and resources on the important over the urgent, we either have to learn to say no or to be ruthlessly selective in our yeses. For most people, the barrier to a fulfilling driven life is not a lack of commitment but over commitment. In other words, we need to be incredibly careful and prayerful about what we say yes to. The best and most effective followers of Jesus don’t do just to do more, they do more of what brings glory to God. If you want to have a more meaningful life, I would encourage you say no to more and yes to more of what matters most.

As Christians we also find ourselves saying “yes” and “no” to God many times every day. “No” is often the more prevalent response. We often find it quite difficult to say yes to God, especially when there is much at risk. Saying yes, however, is a real key to a meaningful relationship with our Heavenly Father. God knows that we aren’t perfect. He knows that it will be hard to say yes. Because saying yes to God usually means saying no to ourselves and to the things we want. If you say yes to God, you are saying to Him, “You are the most important part of my life. I trust you. I love you, and I believe that you have so many wonderful things in store for me.”

When you say yes, prepare to be uncomfortable – being a disciple isn’t easy. These days, it’s unpopular and difficult to be a follower of Christ. Know that whatever God wants you to do, no matter how uncomfortable you might be, He will grant you His grace to help you along the way.

Be honest and open and talk to God. Tell Him that you’re open and willing to do His work. As it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we must “never stop praying.” This helps you stay connected and on the right track with God and His plans.   

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of the obstacles to saying yes to God?
2. What can we do this week to be more selective to what we say yes to?