“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” – Hebrews 11:24-25, NIV

Saying ‘no’ makes me really uncomfortable. Apparently, we human beings are instinctively wired to say ‘Yes.’

I usually keep forcing myself to say; “No, please Petero, don’t” even where every ‘normal’ person would understand if I said ‘Yes’!

Because of the human tendency to desire to ‘fit in’ and not cause ‘offence,’ saying ‘Yes’ is usually more convenient, though an uncomfortable ‘No’ might bring better outcomes in the overall scheme of things.  

Indeed, psychologists and human behavior scholars argue that learning to say ‘No’ is a key ingredient of success in all manner of endeavors. 

Some experts insist that saying ‘No’ is a life-skill that everyone must learn as early as possible if one is to live a happy life.

In our meditation today, we reflect on Moses, who had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and was destined for an opulent life in Pharaoh’s palace.

However, he reached a moment in his life when he said ‘No’ to such a life. 

The Bible says; “he refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” What? But who does that?

Well, Moses made a deliberate decision to turn his back on the good life in the king’s palace and instead chose a life of misery in the deserts with the Children of Israel.

What a consequential ‘No’ that was!

Do you have the self-discipline and character to say ‘No’ even if people would call you an ‘idiot’ because of your decision?

Apart from Moses, there are a few other people who learned to say ‘No.’

Of course the greatest of them all is our Lord Christ who said ‘No’ to the divine existence in heaven and came to earth as a man to die for our sins on the Cross.

Remember how He rebuked Peter with an emphatic ‘No’ when he ‘advised’ Him to avoid the Cross?

Then consider Joseph, a strong and handsome young man, who was working as a houseboy in a foreign land.

Though he was pestered by his lovely master’s wife for many days, Joseph adamantly said a categorical ‘No,’ both to the raging hormones in his adolescent body and to the beautiful and powerful lady’s sexual advances. See Genesis 38:1-10.

The other person is David. He had been anointed by the prophet Samuel as the next king and consequently became the most wanted enemy of the king in the land.  He was subsequently confined to a woeful life of hiding in caves and deserts.

Though David had lots of opportunities to finish off his arch enemy and take over the throne, he consistently said a big ‘No’ to that impulse, often to the utter chagrin of his longsuffering fighters.

Now, do you have the self-discipline and character to say ‘No’ even if people call you an ‘idiot’ because of your decision?

As leadership guru John Maxwell puts it, the first person a leader must lead is himself, and one of the greatest signs of self-leadership is the ability to say ‘No’ to our natural instincts and inclinations and more so if it could lead to loss, discomfort or pain.

That’s what they call character.

Prayer:

Almighty God, teach me self-discipline and how to say ‘no,’ however painful it might be, that I may live a life that pleases You rather than people. For the glory of your name, Amen!