2. Always say “Yes.”
When Tiffani and I graduated from college, we immediately plugged into a local church. For the first two years, we said yes to everything.
“Will you lead a prayer in worship Sunday?”
Yes.
“We’re short a few volunteers. Will you help out at the food pantry?”
Yes.
“Will you housesit our cats?”
No. I don’t do cats. Neither does Jesus.
Good Christians were servants, I thought. They never say no. They’re “yes men (and women)”…for Jesus.
While you should serve your local church, the weight of “yes” can (and will) cripple you. For those who say “yes” too often, you feel this weight.
Here’s why. Oftentimes, we say yes because we want to feel needed. It’s about approval, not servanthood.
Saying no to a volunteer opportunity is hard. Saying no to a toxic friendship is painful. Saying no to peer pressure, negativity, temptation and abuse, all of these are hard.
But let’s not bow down to the god of yes. This god takes everything and gives nothing.
3. Perfect church attendance.
I’m still healing from years of unhealthy exposure to this particular one of our false Christian values. Faithful Christians didn’t miss worship. Ever. They never missed small group. They didn’t miss any church function. Period.
