Posted on by missionspaul

Say NO

Does saying NO come easy for you?

Many of us have taken on too much because we cannot say NO.

  • We must learn to say NO to the need.
    • Unless you know why you are here everyone will demand your time and you will give your life to everything.
      • Saying YES to God can only happen because you say NO to people.
    • Saying NO to people can only happen because you said YES to God.
  • We must learn to say NO to the unimportant.
    • The unimportant seem to always cause the greatest worry and upset.What you must do can often be simplified to just one thing.
    • The unimportant is not wrong but the important task is simply better.
  • We must learn to say NO to what is not right for us.
    • If you don’t say NO then the task will suffer.If you don’t say NO then you will end up saying NO to something.
    • If you say NO to the important then you must take responsibility to help find someone who will say YES. Saying NO does not abdicate you from the problem.

The Apostle has been writing to the Corinthians in response to their question on food sacrificed to idols. He has been saying they must restrict their freedom for the sake of others. He illustrates this with the picture of an athlete, which they and us can relate to.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9 v 24-27)

The athlete:

  • Uses discipline as the foundation of their life.
  • Is consistent.
  • Has perseverance.
  • Has determination.
  • Has willpower.
  • Has a lifestyle of restraint.
  • Is resilient in the face of suffering.
  • Bounces back from disappointments.
  • Manages their time.

Here’s some more:

  • Has their eyes on the prize, v24.
  • Are strict on themselves, v25.
  • Is not lazy, v26.
  • Practice what they preach, v27.

And finally – they say NO more to themselves than imposing the NO on others.

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