“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
One of the most heartfelt and moving moments during church services is seeing individuals respond to God’s call and raise their hands, saying “yes” to God. “Yes” to living for Jesus. “Yes” to being set apart for His Gospel. “Yes” to doing things His way. “Yes” to obeying His voice. “Yes” to studying His Word.” “Yes” to making the changes that are needed to follow Him.
Saying “yes” to Jesus is foundational for spiritual formation and living a life of purpose. It means choosing to trust and obey God’s will, even when it’s challenging, and involves surrendering your desires and plans to His. Christian spiritual formation is simple, yet it encompasses many components. It’s saying yes to a lifelong and forever journey with Jesus.
What happens when we say YES to God’s calling on our lives? We have no way of knowing for sure what the outcome will be. But we do know that saying yes to Jesus is better than anything or anyone else. In this world, we will find nothing greater than Jesus. Saying yes to Jesus leaves the past behind and trusts the future to Him. Often, we are held back by our past mistakes or the things that we want to accomplish personally. We put up roadblocks when it comes to following what God has for us. But if we say yes, God takes care of our future and covers our past mistakes with His blood.
Saying yes means that God is your authority; you are placing your hope, trust, and loyalty in Him. He is the ultimate authority, and you should gladly submit your life to Him. You experience His faithfulness when you say yes. God is always faithful to us. He will finish what He begins. His timing is perfect. His ways are perfect. God will show up in ways that you would never expect when you say yes to whatever it is that He is calling you to.
But yes is yes even when things go south. You will have moments when it’s not fun to follow. You will have moments when you don’t want to follow. You will have people who will encourage you to say “maybe” or “no.” In these times, yes needs to stay yes and trust in God.
You have no idea how God may use you when you say yes. Peter did not know that he would write 1 and 2 Peter. He had no idea that he would preach the first sermon in the church and that 3,000 people would get saved. He just followed Christ.
As we follow Jesus, we will often encounter things that require courage and faith. When we feel resistant, afraid, and tempted to say no to Him, we need to remember all the things we are saying yes to. God’s grace, love, help, and purpose are better than anything this world could offer us.
Discussion Questions:
- What comes to mind when you say “yes” to Jesus?
- How can we ensure ‘yes’ stays ‘yes’ when we face hard times?