Just Say "Yes."

God has called us to live large, not small insignificant lives. When I think of how often we say “No” to most things, especially if it is something new that we’ve never tried before, it’s really sad. We create our own small lives. We stay in our nice, comfy zone where we control everything, never allowing ourselves to grow or to widen our horizons and opportunities. God never intended a small life for any of us. 

I can remember saying “Yes” to going on a missions trip to Russia. I was terrified and nervous. It was something I had never done before. I had barely even traveled outside the U.S. before that time. Suddenly, I was on a plane and flying to Moscow. The experience was life changing and it opened my eyes to just how big God really is. It showed me that He not only loved me, but a whole other culture I had never known. I made great friends from that trip, both Americans and Russian. I fell in love with the Russian orphans we went over to help. They were beautiful and had the same aspirations as the children right in my own neighborhood. They just had unfortunate and sad circumstances. But God used us to bring them hope beyond their circumstances and to show them how much He loved them. All of this just from saying, “Yes” to something new and different. 

Another time I said “Yes” was to writing. I decided to take a chance on writing some books with stories that are dear to my heart. I wasn’t even sure if I could write or if my stories would be any good, but saying “Yes” has opened up doors I never dreamed of walking through. As a result, I am traveling and speaking and meeting new people who have been impacted by the words and stories God has given me. If I had said “No” I would have been safe and sound back home, just dreaming of doing something new. 

God didn’t shove me out there on my own. He asked me to trust Him to go with me, but He did ask me to take the first step. When I did, He stepped right along side of me. I learned to trust God on a whole different level. Too often we stand frozen, afraid to take the first step into a new experience. This is where you learn to trust Him beyond your own understanding. You can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. When you step out, your faith is activated.

Recently I said “Yes” to another missions trip. We went with a team to Kampala, Uganda in Africa. We visited babies who had lost their parents to the Aids disease and we met mothers who had been abandoned and left to die on their own. We worked with Watoto Child Care Ministries while we were there and actually physically helped to build a new home in which four families would live. My life was enlarged and enriched all over again. I will never be the same since that experience. My God is so big and has a heart for the whole world, not just my small little world.

I’m not saying you have to write books or take missions trips around the world. I’m sure your world is busy enough. But perhaps you could say “Yes” to some new things instead of just being busy all the time. God always wants to do a “new thing” in our lives and He will if we only say “Yes.” Trust Him to go with you and help you with your new experience. I promise you will see God in a whole different light. He has a plan for each of our lives, but sometimes we just say “No” to things that could open up a whole new avenue of experiences. We just want to stay where we are comfortable and cozy. 

Let God do a new thing in your life soon. Say “Yes” to a new experience and watch the doors of opportunity and experience fly open for you. Don’t worry. God will go with you every step of the way. Your trust in His ability and His character will only grow stronger. Your impact on the world around you will be greater than you thought possible.