Yes, Lord!

Oh, the shaking knees and lost sleep when we are learning to say “Yes, Lord” to the big things in life. For me, saying yes to things like adoption. Saying yes to homeschooling and then, yes to putting my kids back in school. Later, saying yes to teaching at my kids’ school… you know, the BIG stuff. Along with the fear, however, there is also a sense of excitement and passion to be a part of something worthwhile- something important!

But what happens after the initial calling? Then the big adventures – the big “yes’s” become a series of daily acts of obedience.

Then, where is the “Yes, Lord”?

I had a revelation this morning as I was driving and listening to a worship song. There was a simple line repeated over and over… “I say yes, Lord!” I began to wonder what might change in my attitude and actions if I just said yes to the Lord every time I encountered resistance in my flesh to doing the daily tasks God has called me to do.

Don’t feel like changing that stinky diaper? Yes, Lord. Don’t want to make dinner? (I just did that last night! Sheesh!) Yes, Lord. Getting tired of persevering in helping my kids learn to love each other? Yes, Lord. Too tired to be affectionate with my husband? Yes, Lord. One more load of laundry? Yes, Lord!

Sometimes I feel guilty when I don’t want to serve others. In the past I thought that the problem was that I needed to practice more thankfulness, so every time I didn’t want to “do the right thing” I should give thanks for that person or that scenario. I would have equated saying yes to the Lord with thankfulness.

It’s true- God does tell us to give thanks always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Does this mean I should be saying thank you to the Lord for the baby that I put the food into that became the poo that has filled the diaper I am currently changing? Well, yes… but for me, I don’t think lack of thankfulness for my baby, or food, or disposable diapers is what causes me to grow weary of doing good. I think the Lord wants to take it one level deeper.

Back to saying yes to the Lord and why I think focusing on saying “Yes, Lord” in addition to “Thank you, Lord” could be revolutionary for you and me.

I believe that the order of commands in the verses above matters. If I have to start with an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit- joy… what is the seed of that fruit?

THE SEED OF JOY IS THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD.

Read Psalm 16:7-11

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

     my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

     nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
 You make known to me the path of life;

     you will fill me with joy in your presence,

     with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
The person whose tongue rejoices is the one who knows the joy of being in the Lord’s presence.
LIFE is about BEING WITH GOD.  

When I say “Yes, Lord!” I am reminded that He is with me. He is near. He loves me. Being with Him and helping others to know His presence is what all of the BIG assignments and the resulting little stuff are about. When I obey God, I am embracing Him. The cool thing is that if I can really grasp that God is with me every moment of every day and that He is loving me and leading me, His living joy will bubble out of me. Thankfulness will become the natural fruit from the root of being deeply planted in the awareness of the presence of the Lord. Let your “Yes, Lord” remind you to be rooted in embracing His presence in your life, rather than focusing on embracing your task at hand… and then, experience thankfulness pour out of that.

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