The NO God Gives
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32 KJV
No good thing will I withhold from you!
You Can’t Get Everything You Want
As a parent, you desire to work hard that you may be able to afford your children things, opportunities, experiences that you may not have necessarily been privy too as a child. Most times, our desire as parents is to give our children the world. But what happens when our pursuit to give them the world results in their constant quest to get MORE! It’s never enough. Can I have this? Can we stop there? Even our need to always ‘get’ them something when we just went in the store for milk. It is important for our kids to know that we think about them, that we consider their wants and as well as their needs but there are some things God brought to my attention in recent months with my daughter.
There is a delicate balance, that as mother I’m learning to navigate. The hard NO! Yes, I have it. No, we will not struggle if we get. But…STILL NO! Though my daughter is extremely blessed, there are those moments when I have to say NO. Simply to allow her to know that you don’t get everything you want. A few a months ago, I realized why granting your children’s every request isn’t a good thing. It doesn’t allow them to learn the ebbs and flows of life. That there will NOs. There will be many times in their lives where that NO will be long and strong and they have to be strong enough, wise enough to navigate that no and ADJUST. My desire as a mother, especially a mother to a girl is to teach her to navigate life in such a way that the NOs don’t throw her off her path. That the NO doesn’t make her second guess her presence and importance in who she is and Whose she is. The No is important and just as it sometimes hurts me to tell her no, especially when I know it’s within my ability, the NO is necessary for her growth and purpose.
Can You Stand the No
This made me think about the hard NOs God has to give us. And how it breaks his heart to break ours; but He knows best. He knows that His NO will work together for our good. He desires to come to our rescue but He knows that if He doesn’t allow us to swim or fly, we will never learn. This will create immature babes, always feeding on milk and never wanting to transition to meat. More so, unable to chew and digest meat because we have not built a resistance and fortitude to take the hard NOs and grow.
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 1 Corinthians 3:2
It is easier to do it for our children, to just give it to them, to calm the situation or the temper tantrum…. Does this do more harm or help? Does this encourage the resistance or pacify their emotions? Naturally, we know that with babies and toddlers, this dynamic is normal. But as our children get older, we have to build their resistance for life. If you are a Believer, think back to when you first got saved. It seemed as if God answered your prayers with a swiftness that encouraged and inspired stronger and longer prayers. As you grow in wisdom and stature, the answers may seem to be further away. Its not because God is no longer able to respond with haste, BUT rather, He is testing your resistance. He desires to know if you will stand steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Will your faith fail? Have you been obedient? God’s NO is not to harm nor hurt you, but to encourage you, to protect you, to get you to purpose.
The Hard NOs
As I type this, I’m reminded of the hard NO that God gave Jesus. Not that He couldn’t have gotten Him off the Cross, but He understood the purpose of the Cross and the lives and souls that were connected to that hard, but NECESSARY NO. Even Jesus, understood the NO was necessary.
Father if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42
Jesus embraced the NO for us! Wow!
I can’t imagine where I would be if Jesus didn’t embrace His NO. I can’t imagine the hurt that God felt with giving that NO. The Bible tells us that…
At the moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.
Matthew 27:51-52
Heaven and earth shook with that NO. God doesn’t delight in our NO, He just knows that His Glory will follow the NO….if we embrace it.
I want to encourage you to embrace the NO. Know that the NO God Gives is Necessary for you to become all He has purposed for you to become. The NO is necessary for you to influence and impact not only your life but all those who are connected to you. Know that God loves you and Know that His NO was not to break you, but to build the best version of you.
