Christians! Just Say No!

The idea of “turning the other cheek” has never been misinterpreted more than in recent times. Christians, desperately trying to become 24 hour do-gooders, have lost the capacity to learn to when and how to say no.

Somewhere in the past 2,000 years since Christ walked among us on the earth, Christians have tried to walk in His footsteps and rightly so, but where in Scripture does Christ teach to take on more tasks than you can possibly do and agree to juggle home, family, and church obligations all at once?

I have observed Christians reluctantly saying yes to all kinds of additional duties and projects because they didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. But should saying no, when one is already overloaded or incapable of completing a favor, even grounds for hurt feelings? Have we become so self- centered that we would rather guilt trip someone because they don’t want to be a 24/7 slave?

I cannot site a specific Scripture where Christ said, “No, I’m not doing that.” But He did take plenty of roundabout journeys and sidetracks before performing certain miracles, like raising Lazarus from the dead and the nobleman’s daughter. Christians need to take such delays more seriously. Jesus did say, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” I would rather someone tell me flat out that they cannot do something than to end up doing it in a half-hearted, inefficient, or incorrect way.

Living up to God’s holy standard has little to nothing to do with amassing a number of jobs that you don’t have time to do. The Lord constantly stressed the importance of quiet time with Him. After all, He’s the one doing the work, right?

Before you take on too many tasks on even one task that you truly are ill-equipped to handle, ask yourself, Why I am doing this?  To be more like Jesus or out of guilt?

I’ve had several experiences where I’ve had to tell other Christians, “No, I can’t make it..” or “No, I haven’t the time..” only to be met with a baleful glare as if I should become an bobblehead everytime a Christian asks me to do something. I learned years ago about the art of saying no from a business and a biblical standpoint to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Not to mention to preserve my sanity.

I have witnessed other Christians try to strong arm fellow brothers and sisters into accepting church responsibilities and, even more outrageously, duties that someone else was supposed to do, but because Sister so-and-so got overwhelmed (a result of doing too many tasks), she wants someone else to shoulder the burden.

This should not be so.

The usual reason that people accept too many responsibilities has everything to do with outside appearances or a misplaced feeling of guilt. Trying to “be good” instead of seeking God before we take on anything, great or small, is futile and can only lead to resentment, disillusionment, and ultimately meltdown or a breakdown.

Next time you are asked to do something, say, “Let me think about it for a day.” Then pray on it and ask wise counsel from 1-2 objective people.

If you can’t do it, respond to the person immediately saying, “I simply won’t have time because of…” Don’t lie and don’t fudge. Just be direct.

Jesus completed all of His Father’s work in three and a half years with plenty of prayer time, rest stops, and “detours” along the way. Nothing was left undone, half-done, or half-baked that He needed to accomplish. Remember, without Him you can do nothing.