How Saying Yes to Life Might Be Your Gateway to Greater Joy
It’s an unseasonably warm spring morning, and we’re hurrying down the road to stay on schedule. There are articles to write, meals to prepare, and towels to fold. Accomplishing these tasks is my idea of saying yes to life today.
As the sun rises higher, we set out in search of frog eggs before delving into the work of the day.
We’re almost home when little Bekah stops along the road and calls me to look at her treasure. I suspect she’s found another daffodil.
“No, Mom! You just have to see this!” she yells.
Turning back, I’m astonished by the sight before me. My girl holds a golden flower with a tiny butterfly resting on the petals.
We pause to enjoy the mystery of the tiny creature. It feels like a gift from God, not only in the beauty and intricacy of its design, but in the way he willingly uses small things to stop hurried mothers and remind us about things that really matter. Lasting things. Eternal things.
The Truth about Saying Yes to Life
As we finish our walk, I’m struck by an interesting thought. For years, I’ve held onto the precept that it’s important to learn to say no. While this statement is true, I often forget that it’s equally important to remember how to say yes.
An old adage goes something like this: Saying no is the secret to greater contentment, fulfillment, and peace.
Throughout the years, I’ve learned to embrace this statement.
I have embedded in the parts of my mind that guide me in making decisions. I’ve become an expert at setting boundaries and learning to say no.
As the sun shines warm upon my face, a light is illuminated in a sleeping part of my soul: What if we’re wrong?
Not about setting boundaries – boundaries are needed to protect our priorities.
Sometimes, we need to say no to make room for a more pressing yes.
What if we’re wrong when we assume the word no is to be the dominant answer in our lives?
Later in the day, I search the pages of Scripture, and I find something quite different than a Savior who says no. Instead, I find that, again and again, Jesus says yes.
Jesus’ Example
Jesus says yes when the blind men stop him along the road and ask for healing.
He says yes when the crowds press in and want what he has.
He says yes when he’s tired and hungry and the people want food.
Jesus says yes when messengers come with requests for healing.
What does this mean for us? For the tired mom who balances full-time work with full-time parenting? What’s it mean for the woman who runs a business, volunteers in the community, and teaches Sunday school every weekend? What’s it mean for the college grad and the lonely elderly woman living alone in a small apartment?
Is God Asking You to Join Him in Saying Yes to Life
I think it just might mean this:
Saying yes to life, and all its interruptions, holds the power to enrich our lives.
Saying yes to life holds the power to create contentment and lasting abundance . . . if we can only learn to say yes to the right things.
So, what should we make sure we save room for in our over-packed lives? Where do we need to make sure there’s space for yes?
1. Saying yes to interruptions that will bless others
It’s easy to grumble when a friend calls from afar with a flat tire or empty gas tank.
It’s tempting to hide in the basement when an unexpected visit from a salesperson or member of some other religious denomination knocks at the door.
What if these interruptions are the divine encounters God intends to use to bring his kingdom to earth?
The principle of setting boundaries means we don’t say yes to every social obligation or invitation to join a committee. We can’t attend every meeting for every charitable organization in town. However, we can identify the priorities that matter most to the people who are most important to us. We can show up at their basketball games, recitals, and living room gatherings.
2. Saying yes to loving the one in front of you
Jesus made time to look into the eyes of those who passed him on the streets.
When we make time to really see the people in front of us and search for a way to shine light into their lives through an encouraging word or smile, we choose a better yes.
Do you have time to slow down at the store and looking into the eyes of the cashier? Do you have time to speak and encouraging word to her?
God is glorified when we create space our days to slow down and receive his unexpected assignments.
3. Saying yes when God brings opportunities to make his love known
Some of us spend years of our lives wrestling to “find God’s will.”
God’s will is clear in Scripture.
When it comes to our souls, his will is mostly about cultivating a joyful, thankful, prayerful attitude.
When it comes to our daily choices, his will is that everyone would come to know him. Our lives ought to be sold out for the purpose of making his love known to the world.
4. Saying yes to silence and solitude
One of the best ways to build a firm foundation and gain perspective that will carry us through our daily decision-making moments is saying yes to silence and solitude.
Silence and solitude ground us in the love of God when we still our racing minds and seek God with expectation.
These practices also slow our racing lives to assess where we can grow in Christ-likeness. Saying yes to silence and solitude is a gateway to a richer, fuller life.
A Free Devotional to Help You Encounter God
Let’s learn to weigh our answers heavily. Let’s assure that every no is simply making room for a better yes to the things that matter most in our lives.
Is it time to get the fire back in your walk with God? My free gift to you is my 10-day devotional, Fan the Flame. This devotional offers dozens of practical ways to connect with God. Click here, and I will send this devotional directly to your email inbox.
Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
All three books are available in print and eBook form here on Amazon. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
