The Power of 'No'
No is a very valuable word. Two year olds use it a lot. I would have to say that ‘no’ appears to be Kyra’s favorite word.
I often admonish her for saying ‘no’ so much.
However, there just may be some really good reasoning behind it.
How much do two-year-olds understand when someone tells them something or asks them a question?
If you don’t understand what is being asked of you, or what is expected of you, isn’t it better to say ‘no’ than to readily agree to something?
Pretty smart I think, to say ‘no’ in many instances.
As those same two-year-olds move into the teen years, have we so drilled into them the importance of responding in a positive way, ‘yes’ that they all too readily agree to things their peers try to pressure them into? There are many times during those years that a very strong ‘no’ is the proper answer.
Our Heavenly Father tells us ‘no’ and He has very good reasons even though we often do not see the reasons. Just maybe the God of the Universe has installed in small children the ‘no’ word for His purposes.
There are things of this world constantly trying to entice us into the sludge of sin. We have to say ‘no’ from the beginning or we will find ourselves sliding into that pit of sin.
The temptations abound. In this world you will have trials and temptations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. [John 16:33] That’s Jesus talking. He always knows what He is talking about. When Jesus began His ministry, He began by saying ‘no’. The devil tempted Him with some powerful things, but He said ‘no’ and He said it quickly.
Let your yes be yes and your no no. [Matt 5:7] Do not be double minded. A double minded man is unstable in all that he does. [James 1:8]
