There are many times in life when “no” is a great answer. Going to God and filtering things through Him gives us the answer of “yes” or “no.” I have found that in going to God…sometimes when I thought it should be a “yes,” He would say, “no”. Often when I did say “no” to an opportunity, I would feel bad about it…but I learned, even though I was hesitant to be obedient, that, when I looked back, I could see that God was “spot on”. I was thankful that I had allowed Him to “filter” my yes’s and no’s.
Sometimes it looks like a great thing to commit to doing….but when relying on God to direct our paths…we are given the perfect opportunity to stay on His perfect path. We can be confident in our yes and no! In Matthew 5:37 scripture teaches, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No.'”
Indecision is an awful place to be. God may at times take us to a place where we have to wait on Him for an answer, waiting longer than we might like. He wants us to be people of our word. Sometimes that means saying yes to an opportunity and at other times no.
I personally would rather have someone tell me no than maybe!! On the “Back 9” of life I have come to realize “Maybe,” or “I’ll try,” or “Let me get back to you,” is a 99% “no”. I would rather someone just come out and say no. Man up!!! Rather than saying maybe………really wanting and meaning no, but just not having the guts to say it.
I do understand that people, including myself, have to check their calendar or check with their spouse. But many use it as a way to kind of forget about it and let it slide. Knowing they will forget and hoping you will. I have been working on this so much and making every effort to get back with someone when I am asked something without my calendar in front of me or when I am on the cell phone. I have learned to say, “You may need to call me back and ask because I am driving.” Or, “Can you call me back? I am not where I can write it down so I might not remember.”
I also have learned not to say a quick yes. Instead, I ask the person to let me pray about it and then get back to them. Then it is my job and responsibility to get back to them. In reality we all need to realize indecision is a “NO” DECISION. God may be slow in telling us what to do… but His timing is perfect. If you feel pressured by others to make a decision and God hasn’t spoken to you…….then the best answer is “NO!” Pressure by humans……is not a God pressure.
Committing and sticking to something is very important. A person who takes action is usually someone who carries a passion for being “All IN”. They enjoy the fruits of their labor. Seeing something being accomplished even if the end result is not what they had envisioned. They are invigorated by their internal motivation to say “YES” and then follow through to the finish line.
The most awesome commitment, if you are a Christian, is for you to commit to do something God has put in front of you or prompted you to do and say “Yes,” then trusting Him to help you accomplish it. For the non-Christian, the most awesome commitment would be to say “yes” to Christ and trust Him with your life.
Is there a decision you need to make today? Have you asked the Lord to show you what to do? Have you asked Him for peace in the decision? God is faithful. Keep asking.