Accepting the No

Many times I’ve admonished my children to learn to accept the no. When they ask for things we deem unwise or not the best decision for the overall family budget or schedule, they often go into lawyer mode.

They lobby for a yes armed with alternate scenarios, comparisons, or emotional outbursts. It’s in these times that I remind them of the correct procedures for making an appeal and encourage them to learn to accept the no.

One of the realities of parenting is the correlation between our being God’s kid to parenting our own children. God gave me a no recently for something I really wanted.

I gave reasons, came up with ideas and had a few emotional outbursts of my own. What I wanted wasn’t sinful, but for this season of my life, God wanted me to let it go. While at times I accepted it, other times I. yearned to have my way.

Over and over when I asked or reached for it, the door closed firmly in my face. God mercifully confirmed that I was to surrender it because He could see in His overall plan that a no was better for me in this area.

So I am learning to accept that no. Understanding that His ways are higher than mine, and I don’t have to be able to wrap my mind around the directive to obey it. My kids often don’t see why they can’t attend a certain event or have their way in our family schedule. They have to learn to trust us to do what is best for everyone.

How is the Lord calling you to accept His no in your life today? He has a greater yes in mind when He withholds second best. So let’s stop pining away for people and things that aren’t Gods best so we can move on and enjoy what He has in store.

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT

~ By Melissa Spoelstra. Melissa is a popular women’s conference speaker, Bible teacher, and writer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible Theology from Moody Bible Institute. She is the author of the First Corinthians: Living Love When We Disagree, Joseph: The Journey to Forgiveness, and Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World Bible studies and Total Family Makeover: 8 Steps to Making Disciples at Home book.