While being generous with your time, money and energy is quite admirable, trying to be a people pleaser is a dangerous thing. Whether it’s out of love and concern or through pressure and guilt, just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you always have to. Though there are times when giving of yourself is necessary, if you say “yes” to every situation and request, you will pour yourself out so considerably that you won’t have much else to give—and what you do give won’t be your best.
Don’t promise without pondering. Consider your time and energy. You cannot be all things to all people. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself to recharge. Imagine if you let the battery in your cell phone drain so far that when you needed to make an emergency call, the phone dies and you find yourself in dire straits. It isn’t smart, nor is it being responsible.
Taking time to refill is important. For the Biblically-minded, it’s a commandment. God worked for six days and on the seventh, He rested. He commands us to do the same—and without guilt. If you empty a full pitcher of water without occasionally refilling it, you won’t be able to pour out anything to help those who thirst. Your vessel will be dry, and so will you.
Learn to say no—and leave it there. Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no.” You don’t have to feel obligated to defend your decision, nor should you hem and haw and compromise. For it is much easier to get into (fall into) something than it is to get out. Consider what is reasonable and necessary and respond accordingly. You may disappoint certain people (in fact, you probably will), but it’s better to give your all than to give begrudgingly, half-heartedly, and without your full joy and energy.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” — Matthew 5:33-37
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