A woman once came to a counselor overwhelmed and worn thin. She had said yes to everything. Volunteering, hosting, leading, helping. When asked why she had agreed to so much, she hesitated. Then she said quietly, “I thought it was the Christian thing to do.” She believed saying yes to every request was love. But in reality, her motivation had become fear of disappointing others and needing their approval. She was exhausted, resentful, and losing sight of joy.
There are always more things to do than we can possibly do. So a discerned yes becomes vital. Not everything that is good is ours to carry. What guides our yes and our no matters deeply.
We need to examine what is shaping our lives. Is it God? Is it love? Or is it fear of letting someone down? Is it the desire to be seen as important or capable or needed? Motives can be hard to untangle, but if we are honest, many of us live with a quiet pressure to perform. And over time, that performance can build a shell on the outside while resentment grows underneath.
God is not trying to crush us with endless tasks. He invites us to walk with Him, not run ahead to manage outcomes or keep everyone happy.
Ed Welch writes, “The fear of man is a snare. But the praise of God is liberating. If you need people, you will serve them out of fear. If you love them, you will serve them out of freedom.” When our actions are rooted in needing something from others—approval, acceptance, worth—we get tangled. But when we begin to live out of who we already are in Christ, we can serve with peace, speak with honesty, and rest without guilt. We can learn to say no when it is needed and with freedom.
Jesus did not heal every person in Israel. He did not say yes to every request. He lived with purpose and peace not because He did everything, but because He did what the Father gave Him to do. He never seemed to live at a frantic or hurried pace.
So today, pause and ask what is guiding your yes. And remember, God is not asking you to do everything. He is asking you to walk with Him in the things that matter most.
I love this story found in Luke 5:3-7. It says, “Jesus got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But, because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break, and their boats began to sink.”
As we see in this story, Peter’s faith often followed his doubts. That is true of so many of us. God does not stop loving us when we fail or doubt. However, He loves when we trust and obey Him. Jesus did not call perfect people but imperfect people who trust and follow Him.
I need to get to know Jesus better and that will help me trust him even more.