This year I'm reading from Shauna Niequist's Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are every morning as part of my efforts in saying Yes to more time in God's Word. (The subtitle of the book also just seemed appropriate for The Year of Yes.)
By the way, when I decided that I wanted to do that, I told my husband about my intention. His response was skepticism that I could actually do something every day for a whole year — and being the rebel1 that I am, he was probably right. But, being the rebel that I am, because he said I couldn't do it, I've been very successful in this endeavor!
Anyway, I read an interesting scripture this morning in my daily devotional.
"I have the right to do anything," you say — but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything" — but not everything is constructive.Shauna talked about cooking and recipes — about moving "outside of established rules and expectations" [page 315]. But, being the rebel that I am, that wasn't the lesson I needed.
— 1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV)
What I heard in this verse of scripture was my rebellious nature asserting that I can do whatever I want — with God's gentle reminder that my Yeses ought to be mindful, that they need to be intentional, and that I have to set priorities. Sometimes, maybe frequently, saying Yes means saying No.
1This year I've embraced the rebel label of Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies Framework. As she describes that tendency, "Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike. They act from a sense of choice, from freedom. Rebels wake up and think, 'What do I want to do today?' They resist control, even self-control, and enjoy flouting rules and expectations. They sometimes frustrate others — and even themselves — because they resist any expectation, even one that’s self-imposed."
