Life After “No”

“Give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name.” Psalm 86b

In a day when a lot of people are telling us that we can have anything we ask for—if we envision it in our minds, it is ours—what happens when God says, “No”?  Many Christians find the idea of God saying “no” to be a devastating conflict with their theology of “ask and you shall receive,” or “name it and claim it.”

I know the shattering consequences of a “no” from God when I really wanted to hear “yes.” It was in such a moment that I realized what a lite, thin-skinned Christianity I had embraced. I had confined God to an unbiblical theological box and did not account for the deep and profound work that God wanted to do in me through His “no.” That work involved developing in me an undivided heart where He could meet me, change me, and give me His peace in the acceptance of His answer, even when it was “no.” While His answer never changed, I did, and guess what I discovered?  There really is life (with a capital “L”) after “no.”

 FANNING THE FLAME

Our grandchildren (and adult children) will notice how we respond to a “no” answer from God.  They will also benefit from our honesty and authenticity in sharing our struggles when appropriate. Help your grandchildren understand the difference between a divided heart that talks about God’s will but lives for my own will, and an undivided heart that longs for God and His purposes in life through a surrendered will.

“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.” A. W. Tozer