Say Yes More

“Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field” (James 4:8 MSG).

Since we’re toddlers, we’re so accustomed to hearing no that we can become conditioned to saying no. Saying no is easy but saying yes is magical! Every time we say yes to something new, we grow and develop as a person.

In the Last Lecture Professor Randy Pausch said, “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” Many people miss out in life’s best because they give up too easy. We get conditioned to life’s negative experiences. Then we develop an attitude thinking all closed doors are permanent. We stop taking risk; we stop saying yes. This is a terrible way to live. You have within you the infinite possibility to live your dream. If you start saying “YES” more, opportunities will come flooding in!

Say yes to yourself. One of the greatest tragedies in life is to deprive ourselves from our God-given potential. Too often we talk ourselves out of the things God put in our hearts. Couple that with nay-sayers and we’re doomed to miss our destiny. Sure, we need to have self-control and restrain ourselves from what’s wrong and harmful to us. However, if it has to do with our gifts and talents, dreams and opportunities; we need to say yes more. You cannot tiptoe through life trying to please everybody. If you do, the only person left unhappy will be you. Use common sense. Listen to the wise counsel but most of all listen to your own heart. God will speak to you loudest about your own life than through any other person. Say yes to yourself!

Say yes to your family. A positive attitude is contagious. When we approve and accept our family members, we’re adding value to them. When our default response is yes, they feel comfortable to share their thoughts and feelings with us. There’s no incentive to communicate if our ideas are always getting shot down. Your marriage will go to another level if you simply zip it up and say more yes to your spouse. I’m not advocating a “yes man” culture. The key is to be sincere. Why wouldn’t you agree with the people you love the most? If your natural temperament is to say yes, then it’ll be easier for them to digest an occasional no. If you want more peace, joy, and harmony in your family, approve and embrace your loved ones by saying yes more.

Say yes to your boss. In today’s culture, there seems to be an entitlement mentality. We think bosses are there to make our lives miserable. We want to work less and benefit more. That’s just not real. Try another approach. When our default response is yes, we become more valuable and dependable to our bosses. The more responsibility we take on, the higher we’ll rise. Take the opportunities in front of you. If you want a bigger profit then learn to solve bigger problems. You can rise to a higher level right now by saying yes more.

Say yes to social gatherings. With the advent of technology, we’ve become more disconnected. The very inventions that were to connect us are now dividing us. We have thousands of “friends and followers” on social media but nobody to have coffee, lunch or do life with. This is out of balance. Even Jesus had time to attend a wedding where He performed His first miracle. You too will run into your miracle if you become more social in real life. Say yes to an invitation to a party or an appointment. Say yes to an event. Say yes, to a date. Say yes to attend church. Say yes to travel.

Say yes to God. One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself is to say yes to God. Not just to invite Him into your heart but also to say yes to the things He wants you to do. God has already said yes to your healing. He said yes to forgive our sins. He said yes to our prosperity – body, mind, and spirit. Now say yes to God! Accept His blessings. Sacrifice a little. Attempt to do something great for God and make Him happy! Start by saying yes to spending more time with him – not just in church but also in your own personal life and with your family and friends. The more we say yes to God, the more God-life will come crashing on our shores.

Friend, no matter how down, discouraged, and defeated you are, there’s a yes in your immediate future! God is orchestrating your comeback but you have to say yes to life. When you live with a positive energy, expecting and believing God and people to be good to you – it will happen. Say YES more and your life will blossom like you’ve never dreamed before.

 

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