Lately, I have been thinking about the difficulty in saying no.
- No to your kids
- No to your boss who is overworking you
- No to your friend who is overstepping boundaries
- No to wasting time on social media or Netflix or any other time-stealing thing
You know what you need to say no to and so do I. For me, it has been a life-long lesson to finally be able to say no to avoid being overextended. It took work to find my balance and the lane in which God had called me, but it has been worth it.
This blog space is called Abiding Space because its purpose as a part of Drawing Near Ministry is to help people find their life rhythm in Christ. Jesus told us it had to start by being attached to Him as the vine:
I am the vine and you are the branches.
Attached to the vine, we begin our journey into finding our rhythm in Jesus.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me– watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. (Matthew 11:29-30 The Message)
Over the years, I have seen many worn-out people burned out on religion, causing souls to be empty; people that are too busy, scattered, and distracted. One thing I have learned is that there is a solution to this harried, overwhelmed life and that is Jesus.
- He will show you how to rest
- He will carry your burdens
- He will show you a better rhythm
- He will teach you to say no to things that are not life-giving.
So, in short here is what I do daily to keep my life balanced.
I begin each day with reviewing yesterday with God. I ask Him to forgive me for things I did that I know were wrong and those things that perhaps were less obvious. Then I worship. I either put on a worship song or I worship Him with words describing who God is. And then I read my Bible asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to me that day. I also ask the Lord to eliminate hurry from my life and show me His purpose for my day. Even if my days are extremely full, His guidance breathes purpose and life. And most importantly…
I say NO to anything that I sense, after praying, is a heavy burden. Challenging is ok. Many things that God asks us to do are challenging; however, there is a distinct difference in carrying burdens. Jesus was clear that He is the burden carrier. Asking yourself the following questions will aide in clearing up your daily calendar.
- Am I really called to do it?
- If I do this, will it rob another person from the joy of doing it?
So today what do you need to say no to? A relationship that is not life-giving? A job that is not a good fit and yet stepping out in faith to change is frightening? A task that someone has begged you to do and you begrudgingly said yes? Just say no. God’s got this.
