Saying Yes Involves a Big No
Monday, August 31st, 2009The weekend of August 22-23, Pastor Brian started a new series on leadership. If you missed that weekend service for some reason, I want to encourage you to either get the CD or listen online by clicking here.
Let me just say, that I couldn’t take notes fast enough. Brian was speaking truth after truth about much more than leadership. It was really about living a life of obedience.
One truth stood out above the rest: Saying yes always involves a very big no.
How I have learned that in my own life, and STILL need to learn it in some areas. For example, saying yes to reading God’s Word often involves saying no to novel. Saying yes to healthy eating means saying no to that extra piece of pizza.
Not only is this truth good for spiritual discipline, but it’s a healthy truth for finding balance in my life. I would like to just say yes to every good thing. But I only have so much time, so much energy and so much money.
Every time I say yes to an opportunity, I have to say no to something else. If I keep trying to do it all, I’ll drive myself (and those around me) crazy.
I said yes to home schooling my daughter Cathrine. And I’m having to say no to a number of things in order to fit it in to our schedule. My no is Facebook. I just don’t have the time to check it.
In the coming month, many women will be stepping in to a position of leadership in a small group. These women have said yes to serving God by serving other women. My guess is that each one is having to say no to a lot. No to the fear that no one will show up. No to the insecurity that she doesn’t know enough. No to the extra time she had on Saturday morning or Wednesday night. That’s just one group of women who are saying yes and making sacrifices. There are many more.
Even though saying yes means saying no to something, I have found that God blesses a “yes heart.” It is my prayer that every woman who says yes to God at VCNP has her cup of blessings filled to overflowing.
In His Love,
Glynnis Whitwer