Loving Your Community By Stephen ViarsSample

Day 1

Say Yes Unless You Have to Say No

On a 160-mile bike ride, there’s nothing quite like getting off your bike and having a stranger hand you a cold drink and an energy bar along with an encouraging word. During the annual “Ride Across Indiana,” local volunteers take pride in preparing such rest stops for the riders and the loved ones who are following in vehicles. 

At the end of one grueling day, I spotted a beautiful church building with a large parking lot. As a pastor myself, I wondered if the congregation would serve the athletes and their families. As the scene came into clearer focus, I saw a man dragging a sawhorse down the church driveway with a homemade sign hastily affixed to one end. I reached the spot just as he was erecting his instructions: “No Parking Allowed Here.”

I suppose the church may have been preparing to host a giant event in a few minutes. But the more likely explanation is that they had fallen victim to an attitude that seems to affect how many of us tend to think about sharing what we have: “Say no unless you have to say yes.”

But is that what Scripture tells us to do? Paul told the legalistic Galatians, “While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:9–10). 

We ought to be guided by the principle “Say yes unless you have to say no.” The Lord is pleased when His people serve others in ways big and small. Often, profound ministry interactions begin with a simple expression of grace and kindness. 

Too often our focus is on how service is going to affect our comfort, security, and convenience. In truth, we would all do better to focus on serving and loving others regardless of the price that has to be paid.

The tragedy here is the impression this ambivalence and apathy gives to a lost and dying world. Many in our culture have concluded that God does not love and care about them. Little wonder, when His children are busy crafting “No Parking Allowed Here” signs. It might be time for us to try a new approach.

What aspect of serving your community comes most naturally for you? What aspect is the hardest?