Yes and Amen!

Today I was listening to Matt Redman's song, "Yes and Amen," from his Beautiful News CD and I got to thinking about what saying "Yes" to God looks like in my life. Here's what I'm thinking.

Saying yes to God has a cost

1. Saying yes to God sometimes means saying "No!"

• No to opportunites that may seem like good ones, sometimes even more appealing than what God has called me to
• No to something easier or more comfortable
• No to the idea of walking away or giving up

2. Saying "Yes" to God often means sacrifice

• sacrifice of my hopes, plans and ambitions for what God wants to do in and through me.
• laying everything down at the foot of the cross for the purpose of following Christ wherever He leads
• Sacrifice of my time, energy, resources, family for His kingdom and His purpose
• Saying Yes to God will cost everything I have.

3. Saying "Yes" to God means I may offend some people

• Those who walk contrary to the will of God (ungodly)
• Those who mean well but think I would serve my family better by choosing something else; something easier or less risky than planting a church in a "dangerous" inner-city neighborhood.

4. Saying "Yes" to God brings great joy and blessings, but not always obvious; especially when enduring great trials and struggles.

So, today I'm saying, "Yes and Amen!"