Red Light Green Light: Saying "No" So We Can Say "Yes" to GodSample

Most of us live our lives spending time doing everything that the people around us want us to do and, if we have any free time, we spend that time doing what we want to do.

But we miss what God wants us to do.

Some of us can’t say “no” because our sense of self-worth demands that we make ourselves indispensable to everyone. We feel that our existence is justified only when we are doing something. However, healthy people say “no” far more than they say “yes.” Saying “no” means that we realize that we are human beings, with human limitations, who have to make choices with our time. One key to maintaining a sustainable pace is staying focused.

Know how to say “no.”

Say “no” every time an opportunity, no matter how noble, threatens to lure you from the task God has assigned to you. Learn how to say, “no, that’s not my calling. I’m sure God wants someone to do that, but it’s not me.”

Not every noble act requires your involvement, and sometimes we focus on things that, although we have good intentions for, do not require our attention. You’re one person. Don’t stretch yourself too thin by allowing your commitments to get in the way of His plans. God has a specific assignment set aside for every person, and the assignment that God has given you is sustainable if you are pursuing it correctly.

God knows what He’s doing.

So, if it feels like things are out of control, then you probably are attempting to do things that God never intended for you to do!