When "Yes" = "No"

Life is full of decisions.  From the everyday decisions such as what to eat for breakfast and how much time to spend in prayer to the major choices such as where to live and what life direction to take, decisions are inescapable.  

What I have recently realized in greater depth is that every “yes” decision I make carries with it a silent “no.”  If I say, “yes,” to spending extra time reading a book, to what am I saying, “no?”  It may be time with family, prayer, household tasks that need to be accomplished, or any number of things.  And in many cases, it is worth saying, “yes,” to one decision even at the expense of saying, “no,” to another.  Let us beware, however, of thinking that we can live our lives saying yes to everything without ever saying no.  Just like a two-sided coin, even our small decisions have unnoticed and often significant impacts.

This double-sided response is a principle deeply rooted in Scripture, as well.  Paul said, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11).  No to sin, but yes to God.  Conversely, Paul reminded us of our former sinfulness apart from Christ: “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness” (Rom. 6:20).  Yes to sin, and no to God.  

Paul pointed out both sides of the spiritual coin.  When we say, “no,” to the flesh (i.e. crucify it), then we are responding, “yes!” to God.  Naturally, giving in even a little to the flesh quenches God’s Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19).  

My goal in writing is certainly not to imply that we are making bad decisions and saying “no” to important things all the time.  These thoughts may be convicting (they certainly are for me!) but I trust that they are hope-filled, too.  I am not always excited to refuse my flesh’s demands… until I realize that I am living a “yes” to God in doing so.