No great success has ever been accomplished without great sacrifice. In other words, those who succeed have to say ‘no’ to lesser things on a regular basis in order to say ‘yes’ to the very best things in life.
Do you know of something you and only you can do better than anyone in the whole world? Do it, and say no to the other things that others can do instead of you. If anyone can do something, let anyone do it. If there’s a task that only you can do, or you can do better than anyone in the world, then do that. Do the thing that you can do the best in the world.
Did I lose you? Let’s start with parenting. Only you can be the best parent to your kid. No one else can replace you there. That’s a God given role He designed you specifically for. That’s something only you can do. Parent your kids. Be the parent they need. Be there. Married? That’s a God given role that only you can fill to your spouse.
Oh, you have to work. Of course you do. But work at something only you can do, or you can do very well, while still living for the Lord and putting Him and those He has called you to be there for first. If He’s also called you to be a dad, work a job that allows you to provide for your family and also be there for your kids.
Nehemiah, in the Bible, led the Israelites to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem in a mere fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15). What had been in ruins for years and years, the Lord allowed to be completed in less than two months. Nehemiah faced extreme opposition, and yet he displayed even greater focus. Some of the opposers wished to “speak” with Nehemiah. He did not even give them the time of day. No joke! He did not even leave his work to meet them for coffee, to talk about it over lunch, or give a town meeting to hear their complaints. Instead, Nehemiah replied via text message (or that version of a text which would have been sending actual people with the response), “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3).
The next verse kills me. “Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer” (Nehemiah 6:4). His opposers, or distractors, did not stop! They tried to wear him down with their asking things of him! Do you have anyone in your life like that? Or a slew of people and organizations? Do you get worn out saying ‘no’ so much that you often give in and say ‘yes,’ even though you know you shouldn’t? I sure do! Unfortunately. I want to do more than I am capable of doing well. I care about many things. I have to continually remember that it’s OK to say ‘no’ to many things in order to say ‘yes’ to the very best things. Life is too short to waste time doing lesser things. Nehemiah could have met with those guys. He could have had coffee with them and listened to their complaints. Then he might have organized a town meeting, ran a media engagement campaign, put signs in peoples’ yards saying, “We support the building of the wall.” But he didn’t. He knew they disagreed with what he was doing, but he also knew that God approved. So he moved forward despite their disapproval. He knew his job was to build a wall. His job was not to please everyone. He knew pleasing God would not please everyone, and he was OK with that.
I also like that Nehemiah did not change his answer. The opposers sent him the same message, four times! I would have thought, “Did they not hear me? Maybe I should rephrase this. I wonder how I can say this differently so they will understand. How can I speak their language?” Again, that would have taken time away from his important work. Instead, Nehemiah responded with the same answer (Nehemiah 6:4). Even after they continued asking him, he continued responding with the same answer, four times. It must have become an automatic response. Yet it did not seem to stop his opposers. Nehemiah did not really take time to try to strategize what would stop his opposers or shut them up. He just focused on the work God had given him to do and told others he was too busy to chat about it. “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). We often give too much attention to stopping or appeasing those who oppose God’s work.
I give you permission today to say ‘no’ to something in order to say ‘yes’ to what God has called you to do. You don’t need my permission though. You have the Lord’s permission. Maybe with such focus, you can do with God in fifty-two days what others have allowed to lay ruins for years.
