The Cost of a Real Yes

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”

~ Philippians 3:7

A real yes to God is expensive, and if you want what He has for you, you have to be willing to pay the price. Giving God your yes means willingly laying down your own desires, the things your flesh yearns for, and the comforts you’ve held onto, and choosing to take up your cross and follow Him.

When you tell God yes, He will start pulling you away from things that keep you stuck and things you have become dependent on. He will illuminate the people, the habits, the places, and the way of thinking that will not fit where He is taking you. Your yes may make some people act differently or even cause them to fall back, but it will always open the door for God to move in ways that He could not move before.

Paul understood this when he said, “What things were gain to me, I counted as loss.” These were the things his flesh took pride in, the attention, the popularity, the accomplishments, his reputation, all the things that were once used to measure his worth. But when he met Christ, and gave Him his yes, he realized none of those things could carry him into who God was calling him to be, so he let it go and counted it as a loss.

His yes separated him from his old circle and his old mindset. The people that once praised him, now questioned him and the world that once supported him, now persecuted him. Even though his yes made him a target, it also pushed him into his purpose.

I remember when I made the decision to give God my yes. Just like Paul, I had to face my own losses. I didn’t realize how much of my identity was tied to people’s approval or the things that were slowly sucking the life out of me but my yes exposed all of that.

I thought saying yes to God would make life easier. It didn’t, but it for sure made things clearer. Some people did not understand the changes in me, some tried to pull me back into who I used to be and others made me feel wrong for wanting better.

I heard things like, “You’re doing too much,” “You’re acting brand new,” “You’re too young for all that,” and “You think you’re better than us.”.

Those words were meant to make me question what God was doing in me. The Bible talks about this, It states how people will think it’s  strange when you no longer run with them and they will speak against you (1 Peter 4:4). They’ll start making assumptions and start spreading rumors, creating false accusations and forming opinions about your distance or separation and your desire for change. But what they don’t realize is, all you’re really trying to do is choose God’s best for your life. 

Leaving the familiar was a painful and lonely process, but even in the hurt and the loneliness, God kept reminding me that this is part of the journey. Growth could not happen where I was or with the people I was surrounded by. It could only happen when I made the decision to come out from among them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17). 

My yes pushed me to let go of habits I had previously used to cope with and led me away from relationships that fed my flesh and kept me spiritually deprived. Slowly, my desires, my appetite, my circle and my identity changed. I did not become perfect, but I became open and pliable enough for God to shape me, speak to me and interrupt me whenever he needed to.

 Even though the process was uncomfortable, it was necessary. My growth didn’t happen in the place I was trying to stay. It happened in the place God was calling me to go. Every time I felt the old habits, old relationships, or old desires pulling at me, God reminded me that what He was calling me to was greater than what I would be walking away from.

 A real yes will never take more from you than what God plans to restore, replace, or multiply in your life. Paul’s yes positioned him for purpose, and your yes will do the same. God is not asking you to understand everything. He is asking you to trust Him and give him A Real Yes!  

Step out of your comfort zone, leave behind what’s familiar, give God your yes, and go to the place He wants to show you. I guarantee you, on the other side of that yes is the life that you’ve been praying for.

#PrayThroughIt