Our toddler granddaughter wanted it…
She wanted it now….
She couldn’t stop looking at it….
“It” was a piece of chocolate candy.
“After dinner,” her mama told her.
Our granddaughter likes to say “No”. But not to a piece of chocolate candy.
What a great job offer! The salary was four times what his college grad friends were making at their first jobs…
The company was prestigious, the position was in his industry.
But it wasn’t he job he wanted.
He had known what God had wired him to do since he was ten years old.
This job wasn’t it. But the money was amazing.
The company was prestigious, the position was in his industry. How could he say “No” to such a great offer?
Money and Power…
He wanted both. He wanted them now.
He had joined this crazy campaign because he thought that’s exactly what he would get.
He hitched his political star to the man he expected to be the next leader of the country. It wasn’t going to happen. The campaign was ending now in disgrace for his leader.
Money and power. He had been so close. He was losing them both.
Perhaps there was another opportunity. One to which he could not say “No”…
Toddlers know how to climb…
There was a step stool near the counter. The piece of chocolate was at the top of that stool. At least it was until a pair of little hands picked it up. Her mama walked into the room. One look at the chocolate smile let her know what had happened.
“Oh, little girl, one piece of chocolate? We’re having chocolate pie for desert tonight. But you’ve had your dessert already!”
He looked back on his long career…
A career that started with a “good” job. A career that hadn’t been the one God dreamed for him.
“You know”, he said, “Work stops being fun after a while, doesn’t it?” He fell silent and thought of all the things that might have been. If only he had said “No” to that first job.
There was still money to be made from this failing campaign…
He’d just switch sides. The opponents would pay him for what he knew.
He betrayed his leader in return for the instant gratification of twenty pieces of silver.
Then, realizing the consequences of not saying “No” to the money he had been offered, Judas hanged himself in a potters field.
Three stories…
Three people who said yes to what they wanted in the moment…
Three people who gave up something of far greater value because they couldn’t find the power to say “No”…
And a fourth story. The story of Jesus, who said “No”to temptation. Who said “No” to momentary pleasure and as a result changed our relationship to God for eternity.
Mathew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Thank you God, that you give every one of us the power to say “NO” to anything that does not bring honor and glory to You…
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good
