Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.”

Oswald Chambers wisely said “The greatest enemy of the life of faith is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.”

It seems over the past several months I have read several books and articles that have all advised readers to say “no” to the good things in life so they will be able to say “yes” to only the very best things that God has in store.

I fully agree with the various authors shared premise and Chambers’ wise words. It is no doubt true that what we say yes to shapes our lives. I also believe it is safe to say we have all seen people who have chosen the good things in life in place of God’s best. If we’re honest, perhaps some of us would admit we have done this ourselves.

As I reflected on this concept further; however, it occurred to me that our best yes may not always be what we imagined it to be. It can at times even be the one thing we never thought it would.

Consider the story of Abraham. Back when Abraham was still Abram, God called him to move to a land that He would later show him and vague as it was, Abraham went. I think we often take for granted what this step of faith required on Abraham’s part. Back in the day moving wasn’t as simple as renting a U-Haul and getting a few buddies to help throw the heavier items in the moving truck. Abraham had to uproot his family, leave behind everything familiar he knew, and travel with his possessions to an unknown destination.

While we know how the story goes and how God blessed Abraham for his obedience, I’m guessing Abraham never thought leaving all he knew and moving to an unknown land would be his best yes.

Back in 2011 my husband and I both learned firsthand how our best yes can be to something we never dreamed it would. In September of 2011 my family and I were living in Virginia Beach. The military had brought us to the area and we had made it our home. My Mom came to visit us and our two little guys several times a year. During one such visit, Mom inquired if we would ever consider the idea of moving home to northern Wisconsin where both my husband and I were born and raised and the bulk of our family continued to reside. At that time, leaving sunny Virginia Beach was the farthest thing from my husband’s mind. During the conversation he told my Mom in no uncertain terms we would “never” move anywhere back north. Having lived many years in Florida and then Virginia, the mere thought of a northern winter was enough to depress him. Nada! No way! Not going to happen! Despite his certainty we would never move where snow was a regular part of the forecast, as only God could orchestrate and with His Divine sense of humor, only 2 months later, that November (during the winter no less!) He led my husband to accept a job offer in Minnesota. My husband’s “never” became His best yes as we knew the opportunity was from the Lord. God has since blessed his obedience to move to the last-place-on-earth in countless ways.

What these stories and others illustrate is the point that often times the best choices God places before us and asks us to say yes to may initially seem like the least likely.

There will be times when our best yes means agreeing to something we never thought or dreamed of.

God may call us to humble ourselves and pursue a career path or ministry we had never previously considered. He may call us to serve a person(s) we said we never would. Or like Abraham (and my husband!), He may even ask us to say yes to picking up all we have and moving to a new location.

The point is simply that we will always give our best yes when we choose to follow God and His plans for our lives, even when they look far different then our own.

What is God asking you to say yes to today that you know would be best, but you are having a hard time accepting?

Talk to God about it. If you are sure of the direction He is leading you, ask Him for the faith and determination to follow. Ask Him to help you say yes to only His best and nothing less.

Don’t get to the end of your life and realize you settled for the good over God’s best.