The Valuable NO!
11 11 2009
Valuable “No’s”
Think about this concept. Every time we say no, we are actually saying yes to something else. For instance, when a father says no to an extra hour of work, he is saying yes to something else. When a family says no to going to church, they are saying yes to some other activity. When a person says no to reading his Bible, he is saying yes to something in its place. A practical way to determine the value of a no is to see the yes that is on the other side of the no. A valuable no is determined not only by saying no to the right thing, but also by saying yes to the right thing.
Self-Control
A person who has learned to say yes and no to the right things has learned the fine art of self-control. But is a valuable no just self-control? Sometimes our self-control can simply be motivated and controlled by what we want. For instance, what about the child who really wants the new bike and saves every penny to get it or the athlete who is determined to set a new goal and works towards that end. Those individuals are demonstrating self-control, but is it the most valuable no? Is there a valuable no that is demonstrated by spiritual self-control?
The most valuable no
The most valuable no is not motivated by what I want, but rather by what God wants. Spiritual self control is the ability to make valuable yes and no choices that are controlled by what God wants. Parenting gives us the daunting but rewarding task of teaching our children how to choose valuable no’s.
Learning,
Pastor Ron
