THE FAITH TO SAY NO

I always thought that it took courage to say yes to God’s call to give our possessions to the poor or go into the mission field. However, as I get older I realize it takes more faith to say no sometimes. 

It takes immense courage to swim against the current, to stand up and say, “No, not me and my family; we don’t do that, we serve the Lord.” We often shake under the fear of man. Such fear might persuade you not to speak out against evil and to instead go with the flow. But the brave stand has eternal benefits!

I was invited to hold a Christian campaign a few years back where a very important rugby match was due to take place. One of the teams wanted to come to the outreach meeting, which was happening at the same time as the match. These young men told the management that they wanted to play on Friday evening so they could attend the meeting on Saturday. They stood their ground, and the match, which was set in stone months before, was changed. A great victory!

Before the meeting started, I asked the team in question to stand. I said, “Chaps, that score will be forgotten about a week from now, but the stand you took will never be forgotten.”

Jesus, I pray for the discernment and bravery to say no when I am being sucked down a path that is not Your will. Please remove distractions from my line of sight, and show me when to put my foot down. Amen.