Choosing the best means learning to say 'no'

"Everything is permissible for me -- but not everything is beneficial."

-- 1Corinthians 6:12 (NIV)

I had volunteered my services to help a great, Christian organization. The work was something I enjoyed and believed it would sharpen my skills and fulfill my dreams as a writer. A few years later another opportunity presented itself. But I couldn't do them both.

I really liked the people I was involved with the past years and hated to let them down. So I tried to do both. But no matter how hard I tried, I knew it was time to say "no" to one and choose the other. I had to believe it was time to leave this task behind me even though I enjoyed it and it was something good. A couple of months after I made the decision, I realized I made the best choice.

Choosing the best from the good requires learning to say "no." A simple "no" said at the right time can bring freedom in our lives to choose what is best. Saying "no" may buy up a better opportunity.

Opportunities abound everywhere. We need to be able to decide what needs to go in our lives and what things need to grow. We may want to say "yes" to everything; but we must learn to say "yes" to some and "no" to others. This isn't always easy.

Each decision means leaving another opportunity to grasp the more important one. It may mean disappointing someone or leaving a gap in a job or ministry that needs to be filled. It may mean losing the close-knit tie of a relationship. It's hard to say "no" to a friend, boss or our own family member. It's true that God wants us to be accommodating and helpful and even go out of our way at times for others. But sometimes we know we just can't do something and have to say "no."

The apostle Paul instructed the people that not everything they chose was beneficial for them. We know living a sinful lifestyle is not going to benefit us in a positive way. But I believe choosing the best over what is good also has beneficial results.

Learning when and how to cultivate saying "no" to what's good, and "yes" to what's best will keep us from losing out on God's best for us.

When striving to make the best choices, I like to keep in mind some wise advice I heard someone give. What is good may be the enemy of what is best.