What you do with “NO” sets the trajectory of your life.
I am parenting a 2 year old strong willed little girl. I am teaching her the meaning of NO. Most of the time she is climbing on something or getting into something. If she does not obey, it usually ends up in a short fall or a little mess. I need her to respond to NO correctly. There will be a day we are playing near a street or she is climbing towards the hot stove. If she does not obey NO then, she could get really hurt or worse. Every year 400 kids die by getting hit by a car.
As she gets older, no impacts what she sees on TV when I am not watching. As a teenager, it is how she drives and relates to boys. When she is a young adult it impacts her ability to keep a great job or she treats alcohol. No will impact her friendships and her relationship with God.
“NO” is one of the most important words she will ever respond to. What she does with “NO” sets the trajectory of her life.
Joshua was a young leader under Moses leadership. He was by far not a perfect leader. He did not enter the promised land because he did not respond to “No” given by the Lord. Before Joshua led the Israelites into that land, he had a no. Moses was a prophet, and one day the Spirit of the Lord fell on the elders of Israel and they started to prophecy. By the way, what is prophecy? Prophecy is hearing what God says and saying what you hear. Joshua hears these men doing what Moses does and he wants to stop it. These men are trying to remove Moses from leadership. Moses in this instance gets it right.
Numbers 11:26 Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Spirit rested upon them as well, so
they prophesied there in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since his youth, protested, “Moses, my master, make them stop!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!”30 Then Moses returned to the camp with the elders of Israel.
Joshua has a choice. Push the issue or submit to authority. Here is the 2nd way to change the world.
Willing to submit to Godly authority
I am a follower of Jesus, husband, dad, pastor, and friend. In every one of those areas, I am only as strong as the men (because I am a man) who can tell me “No” and I will submit. I choose to submit to their Godly leadership and council.
So who can tell you “No” and when you disagree you will submit. You are only as strong as that list. Ask God who needs to be on that list.
Live a Better
Brandon Sereg
