Daily Light - April 22, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;

for if you rescue him, you will have to do it again."

Proverbs 19:19

This is not the first time that you have been in this situation. Your stomach is churning and your mind is racing. If you had the ability to disappear without anyone noticing, now would be a great time for you to use that power. Someone is asking you to do something for them once again, and you know in your heart that you should say no. You also know that you are going to say yes.

Too many of us have faced these difficult moments way too often. The person asking for the "favor" is usually someone that we love and care about deeply, although some of us can't even say no to a perfect stranger. Don't they know how awkward and uncomfortable they make us feel when they come to us like this? It depends on the person, because some do and some don't. More than likely though, the answer is that they don't care. As long as they get what they came for, they are happy. It is time to stand up, look some people that we love in the eyes, and say "NO". There are three reasons why.

First, if you say yes and bail them out once more, it will not be the last time. That is what this passage in Proverbs is telling us. You are continuing a cycle that will go on for the rest of their lives. There are people that often say, "How do I always end up in this situation?" It is because they keep saying yes when they should look somebody in the eye and say the most loving thing that they have ever said to them, "No!" Second, when we say yes, we are not allowing them to understand that decisions have consequences. The principle of sowing and reaping from Galatians 6 is thrown out the window, because we are taking away the penalty for their bad decisions. We love them and help them through their consequences, but it is imperative that they learn that their choices bring about certain results. Finally, one of the surprising reasons that we cannot say no is that we are full of pride. We are afraid that people will not like us if we say no when they want us to say yes. Perhaps we are afraid of losing a relationship if we say no. The Bible teaches us that "pride goes before destruction". How amazing a thought it is to realize that because we are too prideful to say no that destruction could be around the corner for that individual's life or ours! Be an individual that is loving but not an enabler. Stand up for what is right even when the cost is great.

May you learn to say the hard things today!