How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

My saying “no” to things that would interfere with my goals is a ‘work in progress’.
In the earlier part of my christian walk, I felt that to be a good Christian I must say yes to everything to help the whole humanity, regardless of how inconvenient it may be to me.

I almost took  out of context, the Bible verse which said,
You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.  (Luke 10:27).


I felt that I must say ‘yes’ especially to those of different faith to show them the love of Jesus.
Several times I had to deny myself in order to please someone else and later regret it.

However, I have learnt the importance of using wisdom when responding to people’s requests.

I have learnt that I cannot give what I don’t have. I cannot please everyone and I am not in the position to help the whole humanity.

I need to show myself some love.
If I do not love myself,  how can I love others?
Loving oneself does not mean being selfish.


I believe that if we love God sincerely,  we would be able to love ourselves in a healthy way and that love will flow into our relationships with others, and at the end God will be glorified.

So, my saying “no” has improved, to preserve my own peace of mind and my saying “yes” has gotten better as I learn to set the priorities right.

I say it is ‘a work in progress’, because I  am still working on how to say “no”,  and be firm about it in a good way in certain situations. Sometimes, I slip, abandon my own priorities, and throw myself into what I call a ‘helping mode’ especially when it comes to family members and close acquaintances. 

We shall get it right in Jesus’s name.
God is in control.