When you are driven and ambitious, sometimes it’s hard to say NO to a new opportunity. Should you enter into a new partnership, is it the right time to expand your business or take on more ministry engagements? You don’t want to say no and miss an opportunity, right? You also don’t want to take too long considering an option that it then passes you by. When should you say yes or no?
These are questions I often struggle with in my own personal life. You often hear successful people talking about how they took chances that paid off or jumped on an opportunity that turned out to be a life changing decision. For me, I never want to miss out or throw away a chance that I will later regret.
There’s nothing wrong with being a quick decision maker, or taking risks. However, we must use wisdom and consult God before we say yes or no. If not, you’ll find yourself committed to things that consume you and take your attention and focus from things you should be giving more of your time.
Over the past few years I’ve made the mistake of saying “yes” too soon and later regretting it because it ultimately did not align with what God wanted me to do. I’ve learned that if I am going to successfully manage all of the things God has me stewarding, I have to seek Him before making any decision.
Many times we say that we trust God with our whole life, but very rarely do we seek Him before making decisions. I too am guilty of making the decision and then asking God to help me get out of it. Or complaining to Him that I don’t have enough time to do everything. And then, God in His gentle and calm voice, will remind me that He never told me to do thing “X” in the first place!
If we learn to seek God’s counsel before making decisions, we can trust that no opportunity will be missed because He has already ordered our steps. God will open every door of opportunity necessary for us to fulfill His plan and purpose. We don’t have to worry that we will miss out by saying No. When we let God order our steps by seeking His counsel, there’s no way we can lose!