The Power of No

You didn't get the part.
You don't have the qualifications for the job.
You don't have what I'm looking for.
I can't do this anymore.

I think we can all probably somehow relate to one or more of those sentences. We have all felt the sting of rejection at one point or another, some more than others, some maybe never at all. 

It stinks being told no. I've been told no, a lot. Each stung, but after awhile, it stung a little less and rather than letting it discourage and frustrate me, I got excited because I knew that the no just meant that something even better was coming. 

That doesn't mean it's easy. That doesn't mean I still don't struggle with it, but I have learned that being told no might not be what I want to hear, but it's for my good and He's using it to prepare me for His best yes.

How then,  do we deal with the no's along the way to the promise?

No to the Application
Whether you're applying to a school, a job, a part in a play, or whatever the case may be. You turn the application in, and know that you'll either receive the yes that you're hoping for or the no that you're wishing away. 

Can you trust that whatever the answer is, you will be okay? If you get a no, that simply means it wasn't the right fit for you, that God is closing the door on that opportunity and is waiting to open the perfect door for you to walk through.

It stinks. I can relate on many different levels. I won't try to pretend that it isn't difficult to walk through, because there were many of times that I got inside my head and all that does is lead to discouragement and frustration. 

Don't let it get to that point. Remind yourself that where you are going might not be clear now, but God already has it all worked out for you. You are capable. You are more than enough, and when you get to where He's taking you, you'll be so grateful for every no you received up to that point.

Keep your head up and keep stepping-- Psalm 119 says your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Focus on your path right in front of you. Don't try to have it all completely worked out right away. He's guiding you step by step and will light up the way as you step in trust with Him.

No to the Restoration
How many times do we pray and pray for something to be restored? A friendship, relationship, marriage? We think it'd be for the best, and we pour our hearts out hoping God will hear us. 

But, day after day, nothing changes. Or so it seems. 

In the seasons where we pray for restoration for whatever the case may be, have you ever thought that what He might be restoring is you through the process?

What you may have lost or lack might have broken you and caused you pain. What if restoring that would have only caused you more pain in the future?

He has your best at heart, and when you don't think He's listening to your cries, He is. He hears every whisper, every shout, whatever you've got for Him. He isn't giving you a no to hurt you more.. He's saving you, mending you, piecing you back together so He can reveal His power through you and your story.    

When mom and I were decorating the tree the other day, we were talking about how sometimes something seems so fine and dandy and roses and butterflies and you think it's the best ever, but then God is like nah, I've got something better for you. It might seem like the end of the world at one point, but one day, you'll look back and  be amazed at how His hand was all over that season.

He has a plan, and when He doesn't restore, hold tight and cling to His promises, because there certainly is more. It might be different than you anticipated or hoped, but He won't disappoint you- it will likely blow your mind because you couldn't have even imagined something so good. 

No to the Satisfaction
We all have general ideas in our minds of things that we think would make us happy. For some, it's material things. For others, it's experiences or relationships.. it varies for each and every one of us. 

We hope that we can attain this or that, because then we will be "happy." However, oftentimes when we reach that next ladder ring in the climb, we come to find out that we keep striving for that next thing that will bring us satisfaction. 

A vacation, better job, a pay raise, a baby, a marriage like so and so, friends like his/hers.. we live in a generation that can see anything at anytime, and I think that's why it can be so easy to be unhappy.

We begin to compare our lives with those we see online, sometimes without even realizing that we're doing it and spend our time wishing for something rather than appreciating what's right in front and beside us, and begin striving for and wishing for that next thing. But sometimes, all the striving is to no avail, and the desire doesn't come to pass. 

Psalm 107:8-9 Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

We can work for the things that we think will satisfy us, but the things our hearts really long for is the love that only He can provide.

I know that when my heart gets in a place of wishing for this or that, or I get in a place of comparing where I'm at to where someone else is, that I need to turn to His word to root myself back in the peace, hope, joy and love that I know only He can bring. 

Being told no isn't the best part, the easiest part, or the most enjoyable part, but the power of no is that it's the vital part that leads us to the best that is yet to come. Walk expectantly, because this no just means you're one less "no" away from the better He has in store. 

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