Stand: A 5-Day Devotional for Leading & Living Authenticallyনমুনা

Day 3: No

Our value systems as a society have become an insatiable medley of targets, profit margins, and a splash of what’s in it for me. And the outcome? A generation that has the highest reported cases of depression, isolation, and anxiety we have ever seen. Employee assistance programs are in overload, sick leaves are unmanageable, and turnover rates in viable positions are at their highest. 

My diagnosis is that we are making milestone movements in technology and the economy, but placing tombstones on our true capital, human beings. In essence, guard cannot be replaced. If you desire at all to build a sustainable life and leave a legacy of generational wealth and wellness, add to your vocabulary the word that most infants learn right after mastering “Dada,” and that word is “No.” 

Have you ever been a part of a discussion where the entire crowd is revved up about an idea that is headed in the wrong direction? Have you ever been seated around a table while someone’s character is being unjustly ripped to shreds? Have you ever stood in earshot of oppressive, racist, and discriminatory decision making? Have you ever missed an opportunity to say, “I don’t agree,” when the quorum was asked, “So is everyone okay with that?” The lonely road of upright opposition is seeking new travellers. I absolutely love the story of Esther. She was a simple woman who gained a very influential and coveted position. A decision was made by the higher-ups that would have a devastating impact on her community. She could’ve chosen to remain silent on the issue and  enjoy the perks of her new role. However, she put her prominent position in jeopardy and, in her famous words, made the declaration, “If I perish, I perish, but I must see the king” (Esther 4:7). It was literally life or death. The king didn’t have an open-door policy. Going in to see the king uninvited was a suicide mission. Esther mobilized a team of like-minded women to pray and fast with her. Consequently, Esther’s upright opposition saved a nation. 

Saying no may sound like, “I’d like to challenge that decision,” or “I’m not comfortable with this conversation,” or “I can’t support this in good conscience.” No is not ignorant resistance. You may not be called to lead the next civil rights movement, but a woman of distinction has the courage to say no when it is unpopular, unconventional, inconvenient, and preserves people over profit. 

Today’s Prayer Challenge 

Dear God, I recognize that at work, or at home, you are counting on me to take an upright stand to preserve what is valuable and to leave a worthy legacy. Please grant me the courage and boldness to speak when it is unfavourable and to make choices that are driven with people as the priority. Amen. 

A Thought to Ponder 

Doing what is popular will bring you fans. Doing what is right will bring you favour. Could it be that, like Esther, you are in the position you are in “for such a time as this”? (Esther 4:14) 

Journal Prompt

I sense god leading me to stand up for...