What Qualifies Someone or Something to Take Up Space in My Life?

Are you the "yes man?" If you are then chances are you have way too much going on in your life.  I have a tendency to be that person too.  I had to pray hard about it because I love to do for people.  Acts of service are one of my ways of showing love.  I felt like I was being unloving when I didn't do for others. That is a big part of who I am, and scripture even says that the greatest love is to lay down your life for a friend.  While I continue to follow my heart in this matter, I also now apply some sense (or attempt to).  It doesn't make any sense for me to be so exhausted that I can't do what I need to do for my family.  It also doesn't make sense to lend myself to others in ways that I am not willing to do for myself.  The Bible says to love your neighbors as YOURSELF.  That means that if I wouldn't do a certain thing for myself, I probably shouldn't be doing it for anyone else. This could be just me devaluing myself or it could be that what the person is asking is unreasonable. I am learning to recognize that every "yes" is me making a statement about where I place my value.  I haven't come to this realization through success experiences, and my failures of discernment inform me that I need to re-evaluate my priorities.   I can't just love other people.  I have to love God and myself too.  The only opportunities or requests that qualify for my time and effort are those things that show one or more of these kinds of love without negating any of them. 

Example:  If a man asks you to have sex with him and he is not your spouse, he is asking you to love him above yourself and God.  The answer for me is no.

Example: If someone were to ask me to hold up a protest sign in front of planned parenthood that said "God hates You"  I would have to decline and then rebuttle the offbeat request by reitterating God's love for all people, born and unborn. 

Example: If a pastor is doing so much ministry that he/she is a bad parent then something needs to change. God didn't create your family to destroy it.

God doesn't set his people up for failure, and if God said to love then it has to be possible to do all of these three love requests at the same time.  If someone or something is pushing against God's request for me to love, then it has no room in my life.  I don't have time to waste on hate, fear, selfishness, or any other thing that is not of love. 

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Be Blessed

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