The Power of "No!" - PART 1

Jesus once said to His disciples: “If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own (John 15:19 NIV).” The world can be a loving place – as long as you live on its terms. However, in that same verse, Jesus reminded His disciples: “You are not of this world!” Christ understood His followers had to find that balance of living in the world without being part of it, and that would be no easy task. He would on to reassure His disciples that they would always have His cooperation in the forms of the Holy Spirit’s power and the truth of His Word to maintain their distinctiveness (John 17:14-17).

Today, the struggle to find that balance remains for those Christians who want to reach others for Jesus Christ. How can those who are not of the world, be attractive to those who are in the world? The solution that is commonly offered is to present God as the solution to the world’s problems. The world can keep what works, Jesus can fix what does not, and everybody is happy. The result has been a readiness to promote God as the One who blesses. Like an Almighty Fixer of what ails humanity, God is at His best when blessing those who are in need. If we want to fix our schools, bring prayer back. If we want to fix our families, put God first. If we want to fix our finances, give to God. If we want to fix our health, believe that by the sacrifice of Jesus, we are healed. As the list of applicants expands and the needs increase and diversify, God can be strategically maneuvered to fit each one as only a Master Blesser can. What an attractive image of God that all the world can love.

Thankfully, to say that the only promotable picture of God to a needy world is that of “the God who Gives” is a gross underestimation of our Heavenly Father. There is so much more to the Creator of the Universe than what He gives us. God is just as attractive when He chooses to deny us the things we want as when He decides to grant them. In other words, His noes can be just as powerful as His yeses. We must remember that the circumstances of our lives are just as complicated as the people who live them, with layers of opportunities, directions, and solutions. Limiting God to granting us only the possibilities we see as answers to our frustrations is to limit our potential to gain broader and deeper perspectives on our lives.

Think about the last time you refused a request someone made to you. Was your answer limited to saying “no,” or were there several considerations and implications you thought through before giving your answer? More than likely, it was the latter. There is a similar principle at work in the way God chooses to deal with humanity. He is neither biased nor arbitrary, but gives careful thought to those things that would hinder or facilitate our successes: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).” So, if I were to ask you whose prosperity do you want for your life, would it be yours or God’s? If I were to ask you whose hope and future do you want for your life, would it be yours or God’s? If you would desire God’s prosperity, hope, and future, it requires a willingness to accept His plans. That means embracing His sovereignty, creativity, and priorities for your life. One way we can experience these things is when God says “No” to our prayers. There is power in “No!”

END OF PART ONE.

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