The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa TerKeurst

Author:Lysa TerKeurst [TerKeurst, Lysa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

We can’t use our “no” answers as wands to wish away our responsibilities. Nor can we use our “no” answers as weapons.

MY NO SHOULDN’T BE A WAND OR A WEAPON

There is a time and place to want to please people. You shouldn’t send your boss a text message saying you read a great book today empowering you to say no, so “no to the job!” You’ve decided to go shopping rather than come to work.

If we are getting a paycheck, we have an obligation to do the work we agreed to do. And if we’ve given our word to serve in a capacity, we need to honor our word. We must not take this permission to say no and use it as a wand to wish away all our responsibilities.

Churches still need people to serve in children’s church. Schools still need moms to volunteer. World relief organizations still need people to sponsor kids. Your kids still need dinner. Your husband still needs . . . you know what. Bible studies still need leaders. Houses still need to be cleaned. Friends still need birthday celebrations.

So let’s do what needs to be done with a happy heart, thankful for each of these opportunities and the evidence of life they represent. Whistle while we work. Do a great job. And be nice. Yes, all that and more. Just remember not every responsibility can be your responsibility.

I love what one of my blog readers, Christa, said her husband suggested:

I am thankful for my husband who helps me say “No.” During the busiest time of my life . . . working full time and kids were little, he helped me set limits. I could only say “Yes” to one thing in each area of my life. One position of service at church, one volunteer activity at the kids’ school, one project at home . . . everything else was No. It helped me really look at the things I wanted to do, set priorities and only do the things I was truly called to do.1

Christa didn’t use her no as a wand to dismiss any and all responsibilities. Rather, her no was a realistic way to set limits within her areas of responsibility.

I also must remember not to use my no as a weapon. Learning to say no is a wonderfully freeing ability, but one that must be used with grace. I have a friend whose sister started receiving professional counseling, which is a great thing to do. However, she took a few things her counselor taught her to an extreme. Once she felt empowered to say no, she suddenly turned into a No! ninja, karate-chopping anyone who even came close to asking her for something. She used her “no” answers in demanding, demeaning, and hurtful ways. And all her relationships suffered as a result.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.