Saying “yes” to one thing requires saying “no” to something else. We are finite creatures. The answer cannot always be “yes” to everything or everyone. Trying to say yes is gluttony and will ultimately lead to some debilitating manifestation of unhealthiness.
This is foundational to Christian discipleship to Jesus: In order to say “yes” to following Jesus, I must say “no” to following anyone else. Every day. Multiple times a day. Carefully taking note of all the subtle, unconscious ways we take our cues from a myriad of other sources rather than him.
The degree to which I cannot say “no” to something or someone is the degree to which I am limited in my “yes” to Jesus. My “yes” becomes bigger and freer and stronger with every “no.”
There are many people worth listening to throughout history: the patriarchs, the prophets, the 12 disciples, the saints, pastors and preachers and evangelists and miracle workers. But at some point our heart must say “no” even to them in order to say “yes” to Jesus.
