Essentials I am Thankful For

I am thankful for my unchanging Lord and Savior:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" Hebrews 13:8.

I am thankful that this is true of His Father:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

I am thankful this is true of the Holy Spirit in union with them:

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory"
Ephesians 1:13-14.

I am thankful for this also:

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work"
2 Timothy 3:16-17.

I leave you with this benediction:

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" 2 Peter 1:2-3.

Is This YES Necessary?

Long ago, I misunderstood Proverbs 24:10-12: "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to slaughter." If you say, "Behold, we did not know this?" does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will He not repay everyone according to his or her work?"

My misunderstanding caused me to say YES to every good opportunity which came along, until one day I collapsed at work. I don't know how I managed to get home. But I had to reconsider all of the YES answers I had given.

I had to cut back on all of my commitments but one--I had to keep working. All the others took phone calls explaining why I was cutting back. Only one place tried to put the guilt trip on me. Everyone else was understanding.

I had to learn the hard way that not every YES was necessary.

Sometimes a NO, sometimes a NOT NOW, sometimes a YES--but all take discernment.

Am I the only one qualified to take this on?

If I say YES, will someone else miss a learning opportunity they would have had from saying YES?

If I say YES to this, what will I have to say NO to and what will that mean?

Am I really helping in this situation or just enabling someone to not take on responsibility that is rightly theirs?

Discernment is developed over time.

Reading Proverbs helps, as does asking other Christians for their input.

To this day, I have to ask, "Is this YES necessary?"