Yes and No

We all deal with people each day. Some of the frustrating situations arising from our interactions are the "Yes but meaning No" conversations. There are two ways these conversations arise. First, the person has no intention of following through but wants to avoid saying, "No." Secondly, there is the person who over commits and bails out at the last minute. How disruptive to life not being able to count on people is. I treasure the few who I know mean what they say.

 

"No" is a perfectly good answer. (Always saying "No" is not conductive to society.) Finite people (do we know any other?) must say, "No" from time to time if not most of the time. Craig Groeschel says, "To say "yes" to the best things, you'll have to say "no" to the good things." I like that.

 

So, here is what I have learned.  Only say "Yes" to God. God will not crush us but he won't let us excuse ourselves from real ministry and real life either. This is where being in conversation with God (from a regular doses of scripture reading, worship and prayer) helps. Without this conversation, we are clueless and have to rely on others (not good) to tell us what to do or, otherwise, rely on our feelings (really not good) to tell us what to do.

 

I wonder how life would go if we all said "Yes" when God expected us to and "No" when he expected us to. All the best things God had in store would bear fruition.

 

When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"? 

2 Corinthians 1:17 (NIV)

 

Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.  James 5:12 (NIV)

 

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)