Our no matters because our yes matters more. And, anytime we say yes, we say no.
If we say yes to work too many hours (beyond what God has asked of us) — we say no to family and friends and the sacred life rhythm God offers us. If we say yes to serving on five committees as church, we say no to times of rest in God’s presence where we receive fresh revelation from Him.
When we say yes to purchase more items than we can afford, we say no to financial freedom and to the adventure of giving away lots of money to Kingdom causes around the world. When we say yes to over indulgence—on any level—we say no to soul freedom and we give the enemy opportunity to destroy our lives and our influence.
Furthermore, when we say yes to fear, we allow the enemy access to our lives through insecurity, doubt, and unbelief. When we say yes to the lie, we say no to the best of what God has for us: wholeness, faith, joy, and expectancy, influence, fruitfulness, and changed lives all around.
Whenever we say yes, we also say no.
If we dare to assess our souls, can we honestly say that most of our yeses reveal that we know that we are heirs of God? Or do our yeses make us look like the rest of the lost world?
Are we aware of how sacred and precious our time, talents, and gifts are? Do we live out of the divine supply God has offered us? Do we keep heaven busy with our prayers? Does heaven move because of our claim on God’s promises? Or do spiritual resources remain untouched because we continually forget to look up and remember who we are and why we’re here?
Why does it so often take tragedies, hardships, and heartaches to make us stop and really think about our lives to the point that we change our priorities?
It’s because this is how we tend to roll:
We forget who we are.
We race through our moments.
We medicate our pain and discomfort.
We forget about eternity.
Yet, God calls us to live right now with eternity in mind. He knows we need reminding—time and time again—that how we live during this short time on earth deeply impacts how we’ll live out our eternity. Life on earth is short. Eternity is long.
May we have the wisdom to look at what’s driving us and make the necessary adjustments, for eternity’s sake.
Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
A portion of this post was adapted from Susie Larson’s book, .
Featured Songs: Unfinished – Mandisa; Rescue Has Come – Lincoln Brewster; Hills and Valleys – Tauren Wells
