Commitment and Saying No
“Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37
In the world around us, we are bombarded with things we need to do! Go to school. Clean your room. Take the ACT. Apply to college. Be nice to your brother. Pack for camp!!
Saying “yes” to the things we need to do is an important part of being a member of our families, school, and the world around us. When we are asked to do something by our parents, we usually have to say “yes.” Out of respect for all that our parents do for us, it is important to do what is asked of us and also follow through with our commitments.
If we say “yes” and then follow through, it is showing respect and love, and it also builds trust in our family relationships. When we say “no,” to our families, it is important to have a reason that supports our values, not our comfort level (i.e.: I don’t want to empty the trash isn’t a good reason).
When we are asked to do something by our friends, it is usually a different story. We say “yes” because we want to or because we feel pressured to. We are challenged to ask ourselves to separate the two – to listen to ourselves and give a response that truly answers the question honestly.
We are called to follow through when we commit to a friend, a team, a teacher, a sibling, etc. We are strongly encouraged to be honest in our commitments and our communication, letting our words mean something. In the same light, we are also called to say “no” to things that go against our value system, our beliefs, or our reasonable ability to follow through. In the verse above, we are challenged to mean what we say and say what we mean.
Take Away: Allow your words to be trusted by following through with what you say you are going to do. Commit to doing your part in relationships based on your love for your friends and family. Trust your gut when feeling pressured by friends to do something that doesn’t feel right to you.