Knowing When to Say No

Serving.
Volunteering.
Ministry opportunities abound at every turn.

The challenge is knowing when to say no.

We are already busy enough trying to manage our home life …
and homeschool our kids …
and maintain friendships …
and run a non-profit …

This year, I am finally going to be a tutor at Classical Conversations.
This will be our 4th year, so I know most of the material.
It won’t require a lot of my time, but it’s a commitment, nevertheless.

Steve and I have also started working on our TESOL certification.
For years, I have wanted to do this, and when I saw it on Groupon, I bought two.
It’s an online class that requires much reading!
We have one year to complete it.

And recently, a significant number of opportunities have come before us.
Our church is undergoing some BiG changes.
Because of that, the needs are great.
**Community Groups – which we plan to lead one in our home on Tuesday nights.
**Missions
**Awana
**Mops
and more.

I am happy to step up and lead.
But I know that if I say “Yes” one too many times, I’ll burn out.
It’s a fine balance.
It takes much prayer and thoughtful consideration to know when to say “No”.

I see it in the church far too often.
So many well intentioned people say, “yes, yes, yes.”
After some time, tiredness sets in, followed by exhaustion, then burn out.
Great leaders fall out of service because they are F-R-I-E-D.

It’s critical that we guard our time.
That we are able to serve well, where we feel called to serve.
If we want to serve, continue to serve, and have a lasting impact …
we must choose wisely.
And so I pray that God will help me know when to say, “No.”

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:1-8