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Men of Integrity, Nov/Dec 2001
Say No to Second Best
Theme for this Week: Just Say No
Monday, December 31
Key Bible Verses: Then the Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." But Jesus told him, "No!" (Luke 4:3-4).
Bonus Reading: Luke 4:1-13
As I was walking across campus one afternoon, Dr. Howard Hendricks walked up alongside me. "Hi John," he said. "How are your classes going?"
I told him the truth. I was struggling to keep up and scared I might not make it through my first year.
"Can I give you a suggestion?" he said.
"Absolutely," I answered and waited for some study secret.
"John," he said, "You need to learn to say no to at least one thing a day. Even if it's just a second piece of pie, or some mindless television show, if you learn to say no to the things that don't matter, you'll find the time to say yes to the things that do."
Try it. Say no when tempted to gossip about your boss at the water cooler and watch your personal integrity grow. Say no to that extra late movie and notice how much happier and focused you are the next day. Say no when that voice in your head says, "I know my daughter has a soccer game today, but my friends just called with a free tee time at that great course . …" or "I know I promised my wife I'd get that chore done, but there's a Web site I really wanted to check out," and see your family grow closer.
—John Trent in Christian Parenting Today
My Response:
Today I'm saying no to . …
Thought to Apply:
What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.
—Aristotle (Greek philosopher)
Adapted from: Christian Parenting Today (1-2/00).
Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.
November/December 2001, Vol. 4, No. 6
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Prayer for the Week |
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Dear God, please empower me to resist all that would dilute my commitment to You and Your will for me.
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